Community optometrist and RNIB Northern Ireland make two hospital referrals at local festival

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Northern Ireland identified two members of the public who needed hospital eye clinic referrals whilst performing vision checks on its stand at Dungiven’s Revvv It Up Festival.

The charity attended the festival, which is one of the biggest rural events in Northern Ireland and features live music, monster truck racing and tractor pulling, as a charity partner from 17–19 July.

Community optometrist and owner of Armstrong Opticians in Newcastle, County Down, Ben Armstrong, was on hand to provide attendees with basic vision checks, with the aim of spreading the importance of good eye care.

The first two people Armstrong tested required referrals into the hospital eye service.

Armstrong said: “As if to demonstrate the importance of timely eye tests, a few people I met early in the day presented with symptoms that could indicate eye problems that definitely warranted further investigation at an eye clinic.

“I was relieved to be able to refer them straight to the ophthalmology clinic at Algnagelvin Hospital.”

Armstrong noted that his aim in attending the festival alongside RNIB NI was to increase public awareness of good eye health, answer questions that visitors might have about their own vision, and highlight the role that community optometry plays within the health service and the wider eye care pathway in Northern Ireland.

RNIB NI/Lorcan Doherty

Young attendees at Revvv It Up Festival

Armstrong provided vision checks to 12 visitors whilst attending the festival.

He now wants to emphasise to the public how much sight loss is avoidable, and how many conditions can be managed when diagnosed early by an optometrist.

“We aren’t just checking your vision, but we’re checking the overall health of your eye, which allows the chance for early intervention and treatment where necessary,” he said, adding that this is particularly important for conditions including glaucoma and macular degeneration.

“We can get the jump on those conditions if we know about them sooner rather than later,” Armstrong said.

“Unfortunately, in my line of work, I see too many people finding out too late about eye problems, which can sometimes limit the treatment options available.”

RNIB NI’s presence at Revvv It Up was intended to reach rural and farming communities, where eye care might be at risk of being overlooked.

Country director of RNIB NI, Robert Shilliday, said: “Revvv It Up gave us a unique opportunity to bring vital eye health messages directly to thousands of people from across Northern Ireland, particularly those living in rural areas.

“Regular eye tests play a crucial role in detecting eye conditions early, and a range of other health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, often before symptoms develop, and we want everyone to understand the importance of making eye health a priority.”

Lead image: Optometrist, Ben Armstrong, carries out a vision check on an attendee at the RNIB NI stand at Revvv it Up Festival