Free eye tests as '˜Vision Van' comes to Brighton

An opticians is bringing its '˜Vision Van' to Brighton and Hove on part of a UK-round trip to mark World Glaucoma Week (March 11 to 17).
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Mar 2018, 16:15 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 06:11 BST
The Vision Van on the seafront last year (Photograph: Simon Dack/Vervate)The Vision Van on the seafront last year (Photograph: Simon Dack/Vervate)
The Vision Van on the seafront last year (Photograph: Simon Dack/Vervate)

Vision Express will park the van on Ship Street on Tuesday (March 13), offering free eye tests to the public.

The van’s tour is in response to new research showing that the number of glaucoma cases in the UK is likely to top 1.28 million by 2050, Vision Express said.

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That’s why the company has rolled out its mobile eye-testing facility, which will journey across the UK to areas with higher than average cases of the sight-stealing condition.

Vision Express said health statistics show that 5.67 per cent of Brighton’s population has suspected glaucoma – including those who are unaware – with more than 46 per cent of the local population falling within the ‘at risk’ group of 45 years old or over.

A spokesperson for the opticians said: “As one of the biggest causes of preventable sight loss glaucoma is symptomless in its early stages, and a regular eye test is the only way to detect it. Over 90 per cent of individuals who are diagnosed early will retain some useful sight but late diagnosis can result in total blindness.

“With mobile health screening already proven successful – the NHS recently reported that stationing mobile screening units in convenient locations such as supermarkets, has prompted a four-fold increase in cancer detection rates – Vision Express wants to replicate that kind of success for sight-stealing conditions.”

The Vision Van will be parked up at Ship Street from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday, March 13.

Related topics:HoveBrightonNHS