National Eye Health Week (21-27 September 2026)
21 September 2026
National Eye Health Week (21-27 September 2026)
Stephanie Cairns, Chair of Northumberland Tyne and Wear LOC, is urging local residents to take better care of their eye health as part of National Eye Health Week, which takes place 21- 27 September.
“Research shows half of all sight loss is avoidable so we want to inspire local people to adopt healthy habits that could make a big difference to their vision and eye health and prevent future avoidable sight loss.”
NTW LOC’s sight saving tips:
- Eat right for good sight. Most of us have no idea that what we eat can affect how well we see, however, eye-friendly nutrients found in many fruit and vegetables and fatty acids derived from fish, nuts and oils can all help protect our sight. Vitamins B and E can help protect against cataracts whilst omega-3 fish oils help maintain healthy blood vessels inside the eye.
- Quit smoking. Smokers have a significantly greater risk of sight loss than non-smokers. Toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage the delicate surface and the internal structure of the eye, leading to an increased risk of sight-threatening eye disease and poor eye health.
- Watch your weight. Two-thirds of British adults are overweight, putting them at increased risk of all four major causes of sight loss – macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataract. A big (high)waist / hip ratio, has also been found to have a particularly strong association with eye disease[1].
- Stay active. Aerobic exercise can help increase oxygen supplies to the optic nerve and lower any pressure that builds up in the eye. Reducing intraocular ‘eye’ pressure can help control conditions such as glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
- Cover up. Exposure to UV light increases your risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. According to the World Health Organisation UV damage is the biggest modifiable risk factor of cataract development. Always wear sunglasses or lenses with inbuilt UV protection whenever the UV index rises to three or more – even on a cloudy day!
- Be screen smart. Nowadays we spend more time staring at a screen than sleeping, so it’s no surprise that 90 per cent of us say we experience screen fatigue – tired or irritated eyes, blurred vision, headaches and poor colour perception. Avoid eye strain by following the 20-20-20 rule, especially if you’re using a computer for long periods of time. Look 20 feet in front of you every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.
And, don’t forget to book an eye test during National Eye Health Week if you haven’t had one in the last two years. Routine eye tests are essential health checks for everyone, not only can they detect issues with your sight, they can also spot a range of chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease and risk of stroke.
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear LOC Latest News
North East Optical Society Seek New Chairperson.
NEOS is a Newcastle-based, volunteer-run CPD provider for Optometry run by the local Optometry workforce. Its history dates back to 1927. Many people who have gone on to work in key leadership positions across the area have previously held roles within NEOS. Without a Chair, the society, which has run 100 years, cannot continue. Martin …
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14 October 2026
GOC Consultation Hub
Please click here to be redirected to GOC Consultation Hub. General Optical Council is currently working on the following projects: Consultation on (i) proposed updated testing of sight statement and (ii) proposed revisions to supervision and delegation standards in our Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and Standards for Optical Students. Discussion paper …
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21 July 2026
Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital
Services are moving from the current Sunderland Eye Infirmary site on Queen Alexandra Road to Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital in the city centre from 11 July. The address is: Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital Plater Way Sunderland SR1 3AE. Our Emergency Department is the first to move. It will open at 2pm on Saturday 11 July. All other services will open by …
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14 July 2026
PCSE – Ophthalmic Bulletin – June 2026
Please find PCSE’s latest bulletin here. It includes important updates relating to the Ophthalmic Payments service from PCSE. The bulletin has collated the latest information on: Minimum interval check Early Retest codes PVN best practice GOS3 Claim and voucher process Signatures on GOS forms Searching for claims in PCSE Online Statements in PCSE Online Sight …
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12 July 2026
AGM and Provider-led Peer Review Event- 23rd June 2026
NTW LOC AGM & Provider-led Peer Review Event Join us on Tuesday, 23rd June 2026, for our Annual General Meeting followed by a comprehensive CPD Discussion Workshop: “Making accurate claims and appropriate recalls in GOS – are you accurate enough to survive an NHS claim audit/post payment verification?” Event Schedule 6:30 PM: Networking and Buffet …
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31 May 2026
NuTH Cataract Services – REMINDER February 2025
Following a number of recent queries, please find below some reminders about the NuTH Cataract Services. Pre-Op If you are a provider of this service, please ensure all Pre-Cataract Assessments and onward referrals are sent via OPERA direct to NuTH for all patients who make this choice. If you do not participate in …
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19 February 2025
Whole workforce staff training available via the BOOST platform.
Membership to the Boost community is open to anyone with an interest in driving forward change in health and care in the North East and North Cumbria. This includes people working in the NHS, local authorities, public health, voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE), people with lived experience, private sector providers and many more. …
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28 January 2025
Update to the Extended Eye Care Services information on this website (Dec 2024)
The webpage surrounding the Extended Eye Care services has been updated including a link to the PES Patient Eligibility Tool. HERE
12 December 2024
Glaucoma Services Patient Discharges from NuTH (Oct 2024)
For those Optometry practices registered to accept stable glaucoma and OHT monitoring. NuTH have now begun to discharge patients from into this service, so please ensure that you regularly check your OPERA platform. Patients will appear in the “action required” section on OPERA. Please check the documents that have been attached to the …
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2 October 2024