Member Article

Glaswegians neglecting eye health warns vision initiative

Local swimming pro encourages others to have regular sight checks after boarding the Vision Van

Vision Express is urging Glasgow residents to take better care of their eye health, after a visit to the city revealed: • Almost two thirds were overdue an eye test • 46% had outdated prescriptions • Half had not had an eye test since passing their driving test

Members of the public were invited to take advantage of the national optical retailer’s free eye test offer on board its Vision Van when it stopped off at Fort Glasgow followed by a visit to intu Braehead.

One of the visitors to the state-of-the-art Vision Van during its tour was Scottish Swimming star Scott Deans. Scott said: “I get my eyes tested every two years, as recommended. As well as a swimmer, I’m a medical student so I take good eye health seriously. Reading is an important part of my job to ensure patients get the right treatment so it’s crucial I have the right prescription.

“I’ve heard about the Vision Van touring the UK and I think it’s great because a lot of people wouldn’t take the time out of their day to have an eye test. The staff onboard the van are friendly, and an eye test isn’t scary at all. You’re only going to better your eyesight by finding out if you need a prescription or not.”

Another visitor to the van was 33-year-old window cleaner, Steven King. Steven admitted to not having had his eyes tested for 16 years and said: “I wanted to join the Navy, but I failed the medical checks for entry because of my weaker left eye. I learnt today that I can get a prescription for it.

“Failing the medical put me off wanting to get my eyes tested regularly, as I feared the result would be the same. It’s worth getting your sight checked though, in case the outcome has changed, and I’ll be getting another eye test in two years.”

Jonathan Lawson, Vision Express CEO, commented: “Our Vision Van continues to receive a fantastic response from the public but it’s concerning that, despite the fact that eye tests are free in Scotland, we saw a worrying neglect for eye health in Glasgow, with almost two thirds of visitors to the van admitting to being overdue an eye test.

“Half of the visitors to our Vision Van admitted to not having an eye test since passing their driving test which is a worry considering statistics indicate that around 3,000 road casualties every year are due to people driving with below par vision.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vision Express .