EYE experts in Dorset are warning that many parents are putting their children at risk of slow development or future health problems by not taking advantage of free eye tests.
Eye tests are free to children under the age of 16 (or 19 if in full time education) but according to recent figures, only 22 per cent of children get their eyes tested in any one year.
Scrivens Opticians, which has eight branches across the region, fears that parents don’t know the examination is free of charge for children and could be putting them at risk by not taking them for a regular check-up.
Lisa Osmond, branch manager at Scrivens Opticians in Dorchester, said: “It is essential to protect vision in the early years of life. Obstacles to vision such as squints and refractive errors can lead to ‘lazy’ eye, which unless detected and treated early could lead to irreversible visual impairment. “Poor vision can also effect a child’s educational and social development. If a child cannot see the classroom board clearly or cannot see the words written on a page or computer screen comfortably, they will most likely fall behind their peers in development.”
As well as the free eye test, children can also have a range of free glasses on the NHS.
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