National Eye Health Week: Shining a light on optometry

Eye care professionals across optometry have been encouraged to get involved in this year’s National Eye Health Week, taking place from 19 – 25 September.

The annual awareness week aims to highlight the importance of eye health and encourage more people to have regular eye tests. The campaign also seeks to educate the public on the range of services available from High Street optometrists, and the role eye care professionals play in healthcare.

Each day of the campaign has a different theme, with this year’s focuses covering: children’s eye health (including myopia), good vision for driving, live well to see well, minor eye conditions, eye tech (including assistive technologies and optical instruments), and eye health during the menopause.

A supporter resource pack is available to download from the Vision Matters website, including posters, leaflets, social media assets and digital content. A webcast will be released with a step-by-step guide to making the most of resources on offer, while additional resources will be dropped throughout the awareness week. 

The AOP has confirmed it will be supporting the campaign activities by promoting eye health resources across social media throughout the week.

David Cartwright, chair of Eye Health UK, the charity responsible for organising the awareness week, commented: “National Eye Health Week provides a unique platform for everyone in optics to join together and shine a light on the important, all too often undervalued, work that goes on in optical practices day-in-day-out across the UK.”

“I’d urge everyone to get involved, add their voice to the conversation, and help to spread the word on the simple things we can all do to keep our eyes and vision healthy.”

Individuals and practices can get involved in National Eye Health Week on social media by using the official hashtags: #EyeWeek, #VisionMatters, and #FrEyeDay.