Dobbin opens his eyes to blindness

Jim Dobbin - Heywood & Middleton MP

Heywood and Middleton MP Jim Dobbin joined with top researchers from a London hospital to find out more about sight saving tests for glaucoma, a cause of blindness

To mark World Glaucoma Day on Thursday 12 March, the Labour MP met with researchers from Moorfields Eye Hospital (London) at a parliamentary reception where exciting new technology under development was revealed that will improve access to potentially sight saving tests.

Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of preventable blindness. It is estimated there are 67 million glaucoma sufferers in the world, but over 50% are undiagnosed, rising to 90% in the developing world. 500,000 people are affected in the UK but half are not receiving treatment because they are unaware they have the disease.

The aim of this new test is to improve global glaucoma detection.

Mr Dobbin said "I urge local people to have an eye test and ensure they are not one of the quarter of a million people in the UK with undiagnosed Glaucoma.

Without an eye test you won't find out until it's too late, as Glaucoma doesn't have any symptoms in its early stages and you can lose up to 40% of your sight before realising anything is wrong."

Steve Winyard, RNIB's Head of Campaigns and Chair of the Glaucoma Alliance UK, said: "If caught early enough glaucoma can in nearly all cases be successfully treated and no sight need be lost.

“A regular simple eye test can pick up glaucoma in its early stages before you know that anything is wrong. That's why, alongside all the other organisations in the Glaucoma Alliance, we are encouraging everyone to book an eye test."