LOCSU Joins #LoveYourEyes Campaign for World Sight Day
8 October 2026
Today, LOCSU joins colleagues across the eye care sector in uniting behind the global #LoveYourEyes campaign for World Sight Day, helping focus attention on the importance of eye care that is accessible for all.
Held annually on the second Thursday of October, World Sight Day highlights the life-changing impact of good eye health – encouraging people to prioritise regular sight tests, and calling on governments to improve access to eye care services.
Sight loss can have a profound impact on individuals, families and communities. Regular sight tests not only play a critical role in detecting eye conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts, but can also identify wider health concerns at an early stage.
Zoe Richmond, Clinical Director at LOCSU, said: “Access to eye care is important for all people. The impact good eye care has on people’s lives needs to be better understood, and eye care practitioners, practice teams and LOCs are invited to help raise awareness.
“Encouraging people to have a regular sight test is a good place to start.”
LOCSU continues to champion the role of primary care optometry within neighbourhood, ICB and national NHS health and social care discussions.
Through its work with LOCs, eye care sector partners, commissioners and policy makers, LOCSU is advocating for national coverage of enhanced eye care services with consistent commissioning and appropriate investment.
Despite significant progress in many parts of the country, access to NHS eye care services remains inconsistent, creating a postcode lottery that leaves too many people unable to benefit from the expertise and accessibility that primary care optometry can provide.
LOCSU’s national pathways underpin eye care services across the country that are proven to improve patient and system outcomes.
LOCSU continues to build upon these foundations, influencing national discussions across low vision, healthy ageing, frailty, and preventative health care, whilst supporting LOCs to navigate the evolving commissioning landscape and ensure local populations can access high-quality eye care closer to home.
Janice Foster, LOCSU CEO, said: “World Sight Day is an important reminder that good eye health should not depend on where you live. Too many patients still face a postcode lottery in access to enhanced eye care services.
“If we are serious about improving population health and reducing avoidable sight loss, we must ensure that eye care is accessible to all.
“Primary care optometry is a trusted and accessible part of primary care with an important role to play in preventing sight loss and supporting population health. LOCs are an integral and valued system partner and must be brought into NHS and health and social care discussions at the earliest opportunity.
“LOCSU will continue to champion consistent national coverage and appropriate commissioning of local services, helping ensure that everyone can access the eye care they need, when and where they need it. Every person deserves access to good eye care, and every eye care professional deserves the resources and support to deliver it.”