A THIRD of people in the UK have noticed a deterioration in their eyesight during lockdown, a survey by Specsavers has revealed.

The results come as the Government’s easing of stay-at-home measures in England mean that people who have noticed any change at all in their sight during lockdown, or since their last eye test, can now book online for an in-store appointment at Specsavers.

From Monday, Specsavers can now care for more priority customers face-to-face, in line with sector guidelines.

Customers booking an appointment online will be contacted by the Golden Square store to discuss their sight concerns and make sure that coming in to store for a test is the best option for them.

Clinical services director Giles Edmonds said: "During lockdown many of us have been spending more time looking at screens, reading, or watching TV, which is likely to make people more aware of pre-existing sight conditions or the fact that their prescription may have changed.

"More screen time can also lead to eye strain and visual fatigue, which isn’t usually serious but could explain why so many people are reporting issues."

If significant and serious deterioration of vision has been experienced recently by anyone, Specsavers still recommends phoning immediately as it may need a more urgent store visit to undertake testing and investigation.

Customers wanting a routine eye test but not experiencing any changes to their sight currently will have to wait a little longer, as stores focus their attention on those with more immediate needs.

Mr Edmonds added: "The safety of our customers remains our ultimate priority and we have worked hard to put in place robust measures to create an uncompromisingly safe store environment and reassure our customers as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.

"As well as limiting the number of customers in store at any given time, social distancing, thorough disinfection of our stores, equipment and products, and full use of screening and medical grade PPE, are standard in all of our stores."