National Eye Health Week 2026 runs from 21–27th of September. It’s the UK’s biggest annual awareness campaign for eye health, and its message is simple: regular eye tests save sight.
More than two million people in the UK live with significant sight loss. Half of all sight loss in this country is avoidable or treatable if caught early enough. A dilated eye exam can detect the early signs of glaucoma before any symptoms appear, identify macular degeneration while treatment is still most effective, and flag conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure that show up in the eye before anywhere else.
Most NHS sight tests are free. For people over 60, for those with a family history of glaucoma, and for people with diabetes, the test is always free. For most other adults, the test costs nothing at a participating optician under the NHS scheme.
The most useful thing most people can do this week: book one.
Who Can Get a Free NHS Eye Test?
More people than most realise. You’re entitled to a free NHS sight test if you are:
- Over 60
- Under 16 (or under 19 in full-time education)
- Diabetic
- Diagnosed with glaucoma, or have a close family member who has been
- Registered as blind or partially sighted
- Receiving certain benefits including Universal Credit or Income Support
For most other adults, an eye test at a high street optician costs around £20–£30. Some opticians offer free tests during National Eye Health Week itself. The NHS website has a full eligibility checker.
What Can an Eye Test Detect?
The conditions below are among the most common causes of serious sight loss in the UK, and all of them can be identified through a routine eye examination before symptoms appear.
- Glaucoma damages the optic nerve gradually, without pain or obvious symptoms. By the time vision changes are noticeable, significant and irreversible damage has often occurred. Around 700,000 people in the UK have glaucoma — roughly half don’t know it yet. People of African or Caribbean descent, and anyone with a close family member diagnosed with glaucoma, face a higher risk and are eligible for free NHS tests on that basis.
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60. It affects central vision — the ability to read, recognise faces, and see fine detail. Both forms (dry and wet) are most treatable in early stages, before central vision is significantly affected.
- Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults in the UK. It develops without symptoms in the early stages. Anyone with diabetes should have an annual dilated eye examination — the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme offers this automatically.
- Cataracts cause clouding of the lens, leading to blurred vision and glare sensitivity. Unlike the above, cataracts are reversible — cataract surgery is one of the most successful procedures carried out in the UK. It requires a diagnosis first.
An eye test can also reveal signs of systemic conditions including high blood pressure — the eye is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be examined directly and non-invasively.
Looking After Your Eyes
Between eye tests, a few things consistently make a difference: eating well (leafy greens, oily fish), wearing UV-blocking sunglasses, not smoking, and following the 20-20-20 rule for screens (every 20 minutes of screen time, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
Most adults should have an eye test every two years. Anyone over 70, with diabetes, or with a family history of glaucoma should go annually.
Already Living with Sight Loss?
National Eye Health Week is also a good moment to check what support already exists.
RNIB’s helpline (0303 123 9999) can advise on assistive technology, local services, and what you’re entitled to from the NHS and your local authority. Their website at rnib.org.uk is the most comprehensive UK resource for people affected by sight loss.
Vision rehabilitation services (orientation and mobility training, home adaptations, and daily living skills support) are available through most local authorities. Ask your GP or ophthalmologist for a referral.
For people managing daily life with sight loss, RealSAM Pocket is a voice-operated smartphone designed specifically for blind and partially sighted people. No screen navigation, no apps to find, simply tap and talk. Find out more at realsam.co.uk/pocket.
Our guide to how visually impaired people read covers accessible reading formats available in the UK, including RNIB Talking Books, DAISY, and audiobooks.
Book an Eye Test This Week
For resources, events, and information on free eye tests near you during National Eye Health Week 2026, visit visionmatters.org.uk.
Sight is the sense people fear losing most. A routine eye test (which only takes around 20–30 minutes!) is the most practical step most people can take to protect it.
