Routine sight tests are the best way to make sure your eyes are healthy, and could lead to successful treatment for unknown, sight threatening conditions and maybe even your life.
That’s the message from Health Minister Eluned Morgan in a new campaign to encourage adults over 30 to go for a sight test at their local optometry practice (opticians).
Some conditions that cause sight loss have no symptoms, but a sight test can often pick up on these conditions before any changes in vision are noticed - leading to vital treatment at the right time, to save your eyesight.
The ‘Help us Help You’ optometry campaign, recently launched by the Welsh Government, encourages everyone in Wales to get their eyes checked regularly with their optometrist, to avoid serious eye problems.
NHS sight tests are free to those who are eligible. As well as the young and elderly, people on benefits or those with a family history of glaucoma, if you use computer screens at work, the law requires your employer to arrange a free sight test for you, if you request one. Most employers usually agree to pay for the sight test that you have arranged for yourself.
As a result of a new agreement, more people in Wales can now get their eyes tested for free. People who are at greater risk of developing certain eye conditions can receive free eye examinations from The Eye Health Examination Wales Scheme (EHEW). Including people who:
- are from Black or Asian ethnic groups
- are deaf or blind
- need urgent attention for their eye problems
- have been referred by their GP by an EHEW registered optometrist
For further information please select the following links Detect early, treat early, save your sight | GOV.WALES