National eye health week 24 to 30 September
I urge the record number of older people in employment[1] to make their eye health a priority as pension entitlement ages increase.
Ageing working population
Official figures show that there are now more than 1.2 million working Brits over the age of 65[2], with a further 500,000 expected to be in employment by 2030[3], as people continue to live longer and healthier lives.
As the over 65s are almost twice as likely to develop an eye health condition[4], such as glaucoma or cataracts, that could significantly hinder their ability to do their job effectively, Specsavers and sight loss charity, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), are campaigning to urge Britain’s ageing workforce to take their eye health seriously.
Eye condition’s effect on career of Hairy Biker
With research showing that one in four people are not having an eye test every two years[5], as recommended by the College of Optometrists, celebrity chef and Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers, 61, is backing the campaign ahead of National Eye Health Week (24-30 September) after discovering that he had a serious eye condition that could have had a huge impact on his career.
Dave was shocked when he found out that he had developed glaucoma when he was just 51. Thankfully it was spotted during a routine eye test but if it had gone unnoticed, he could have gone blind, and that would have had a huge impact on how he does the job he loves so much.
Like so many people, Dave’s career is his passion and he found it hard to be able to imagine doing all the things he love to do if he couldn’t see, whether it’s riding his bike, reading an autocue or preparing ingredients. The thought that he could have lost his sight was really scary.
Support for employees and employers
The RNIB says that, with the right support, people with sight loss can continue working, and if you’re an employer, RNIB and other organisations can help you to properly support a member of staff who is losing their sight.
Advances in technology mean that blind and partially sighted people can now overcome many of the barriers to work that they have faced in the past, and government schemes, like Access to Work, mean that many of the costs can be met.
The economic effects of sight loss
The See the Light report[6] from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eye Health and Visual Impairment determined that more needs to be done to make eye health a priority. According to the report, the number of people in the UK that will be affected by sight loss is predicted to increase by more than 10% by 2020[7], rising to more than 40% by 2030, due largely to our ageing demographic.
Research estimates that the total cost of sight loss to our economy is in the region of £28 billion a year[8] which is projected to increase to £30.8 billion by 2020[9].
Doug Perkins, Specsavers founder, still working at 75 years
Specsavers founder Doug Perkins, 75, an optometrist of more than 50 years and who co-runs the joint-venture family business, wholeheartedly agrees and said that more needs to be done to make eye health a priority in the UK.
An eye test can help detect conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts. It also provides a window on wider health, helping spot indicators of other issues, such as diabetes, that could hinder older people from working as long or as effectively as they might want to.
For more information eye care in the workplace, visit www.specsavers.co.uk/corporate
1. Office for National Statistics (2018) Employment rate 65 + People.
2. Office for National Statistics (2018) UK labour market: June 2018.
3. Office for Budget Responsibility (2014) Fiscal Sustainability Report: employment rates for 60 to 74 year olds
4. RNIB data. The older you are, the greater your chances of developing an eye condition that could threaten your sight. The rate of sight loss among people aged 65-69 is 87% higher compared to people aged 60-64 years; 200 cases per 100k population, compared to 107 cases.
5. Specsavers and RNIB State of the National Eye Health report 2017 with YouGov
6. See the light: Improving capacity in NHS eye care in England. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment, June 2018
7. Increase is based on 2013 figures
8. Specsavers and RNIB State of the National Eye Health report 2017 with YouGov
9. Based on projected 10% sight loss prevalence in UK, applied to 2020 UK population figures (ONS)
