Vision Express announces menopause training pilot

Vision Express has committed to training its eye care professionals as menopause eye health advisers in order to support patients to learn more about eye health during this life stage.

As part of National Eye Health Week (23–29 September), Vision Express has sought to raise awareness of the effects of menopause on eye health and wellbeing.

Vision Express has announced plans to launch a pilot to train eye care professionals on menopause and its link to eye health.

The pilot will begin from November 2024 with 30 practices, with the intention of rolling out the training to clinical staff across its 500 stores in 2025.

The announcement follows the release of new research from Vision Express that indicates three in 10 British women over 45 feel healthcare providers do not understand menopause symptoms fully.

The survey of 2000 women in the UK over the age of 45 found that 41% of those who have experienced potential menopausal symptoms put off visiting a doctor despite wanting support.

Of those that avoided the doctor, two fifths (42%) said they were afraid their symptoms would be dismissed and a third (33%) felt the doctor would not understand menopause well enough.

Vision Express found that over a third of those surveyed were unaware that blurred vision (38%) and dry eye syndrome (37%) could be symptoms of menopause.

Of those who experienced menopause, 26% reported feeling scared about their eyesight.

Dan McGhee, clinical skills director at Vision Express, said that the new training initiative makes Vision Express the first optical group on the High Street to upskill all clinical staff on the effect that menopause has on eye health.

“We want women to feel encouraged to book an eye test if they notice changes to their vision during this time of midlife and feel confident to speak to the optician about their symptoms,” he added.

The survey by Vision Express found that 66% of women over 45 who have experienced menopause said it negatively affected their confidence and almost half reported feeling at times that no-one understands what they are experiencing.

More than a third felt menopause negatively affected their daily activities, particularly physical exercise, socialising with friends and family, and going to work.

Vision Express has partnered with TV presenter and model, Lisa Snowdon, in an aim to make women feel more confident in talking about menopause.