Eye health is no laughing matter as Vision Van comes to Edinburgh

• Vision Express Vision Van to visit Edinburgh to promote importance of regular eye checks
• Around 4,000 residents in area living with suspected glaucoma, the silent thief of sight

With the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in full swing, Vision Express is putting eye health centre stage by bringing their Vision Van to the area as part of its Scotland tour, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests.

As part of its bid to improve eye health across the nation, Vision Express will be taking its award-winning Vision Van to Edinburgh on Thursday 9 August, home of the Festival Fringe, offering free, comprehensive eye tests and demonstrating the many risks involved with not having regular check-ups.

The national optician hopes it will be an important wake-up call for local people who despite getting free eye tests on the NHS, still aren’t prioritising their sight. City-wide statistics expose a red flag for eye health in the local area:

• An estimated 4,000 residents are living with suspected glaucoma, the silent thief of sight.
• Over 3,500 people in Edinburgh are suffering from age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
• Blindness and partial sight costs Scotland just over £2 billion each year.

The Van will be parking up at the Fort Kinnaird Shopping Park, located off the A1 in the south-east of Edinburgh, on Thursday (9 August). It will be the last stop-off during the Van’s mini-tour of Scotland, where it will first be visiting Glasgow Fort today before travelling to  Braehead tomorrow.

Jonathan Lawson, CEO of Vision Express, said: “The van visited Edinburgh in previous years and received a fantastic response from residents, which is why we felt it was important to return and again, raise the importance of good eye health. Our last visit revealed that over 60% of Edinburgh residents were risking their sight by not having regular vision checks.

“With the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in full flow, there is no better time to visit the area and encourage more visitors on-board the Vision Van, to show them how essential it is to get regular eye check-ups.”