Almost half a million (487,200) adults in Greater London have never had their eyes tested by an optician – potentially putting their vision at risk.

The survey of adults in the Greater London area was commissioned by retinal imaging technology experts, Optos. It revealed that despite so many never having an eye test, more than three quarters (68 per cent) considered their eye health as very important to them.

Worryingly, almost two thirds (62 per cent) do not realise signs of diabetes are visible in a retinal eye exam, 65 per cent do not realise certain cancers can be detected, and 34 per cent don’t believe any eye diseases can be found in a retinal eye exam at all.

However, for those that did want an exam over the past year, the pandemic prevented more than two-fifths (43 per cent) from attending appointments. Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of those surveyed said it was because they were worried about how safe it was to attend, 23 per cent said there were no appointments available and 28 per cent were shielding or self-isolating.

Gareth Steer, VP of European Sales at Optos said: “Over the past year, we’ve all been spending more time at home and in front of screens. From working at a laptop or sitting watching TV, there are increasing concerns around eye health and a rise in cases of eye strain.

“Sight loss prevention charity, Fight for Sight, recently found that more than a third[2] of people felt their eyesight had worsened since the start of the pandemic.

“We want people across London to know that opticians using advanced retinal imaging technology are able to carry out their appointments in a safe way and will be able to identify any potential problems early, reducing the risk of eye disease and protecting eyesight.”

Encouragingly, Londoners do see the value in having the best eye exam possible and value expert advice. More than half (53 per cent) state that they want the reassurance that potential issues are found early.

Opticians were considered the number one authority on eye health. Six in ten adults (58 per cent) said that they always follow the advice of their optician, above GPs (47 per cent), nurses (36 per cent) and pharmacists (31 per cent).

More than half (53 per cent) said they would pay more for an eye exam that uses more advanced imaging technology because their eye health is so important to them.

Gareth Steer added: “Getting your eyes tested is crucial but while the NHS sight test does perform an internal and external assessment, digital imaging isn’t always used. Advanced imaging technology is proven to support opticians in spotting potentially vision and life-altering issues early. This includes diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure and detached retinas.

“A big part of this is education. We need to be more aware of the importance of eye care and attending eye appointments, even if you don’t think you have any issues. Advanced retinal imaging technology means opticians can carry out a very detailed exam quickly and from a safe distance.

“At Optos, we’re doing all we can to help raise awareness around the benefits of regular eye care examinations. The survey clearly shows that eye health is very important to people across Greater London and so it’s essential we all make our vision a priority and ensure we find problems and treat them early.”