By Steve Roberts 

Ortho-k optician  Daska Barnett who is the founder and owner of Specs Of Kensington  in London has issued a reminder to office workers that they are entitled to free eye tests from their employers. Barnett is worried that many people do not know about the legal obligation which employers must comply with and may ignore signs that their eyesight is deteriorating for fear of having to pay for examinations themselves. "I think people really have little awareness of, firstly, the benefits of having their eyes examined and, secondly, the fact that this healthcare provision is actually something their employer would pay to have done," Barnett explained.

A survey by Simply Health, one of the UK's leading provider of healthcare plans for companies and individuals, revealed that 40 per cent of people do not know of their employer's obligation to offer free sight tests. It also found that only 20 per cent of people took regular breaks from computer screens, despite 90 per cent of people admitting to feeling tired, getting headaches and suffering with vision problems as a result of working in front of a computer screen. As an ortho-k optician , Barnett knows that such problems can be particularly acute for daytime contact lens wearers, with the lower blink rates associated with screen work combined with the impact of working in climate-controlled environments giving rise to enhanced risk of dry eye syndrome and other related eye health problems.

Barnett explains that having eyes examined can ensure that employees do not end up feeling tense at work. She states: "It's well documented that using computer screens can often make people very tired and uncomfortable and if they are not troubled by symptoms while they're at work, they are more productive." Also, as an ortho-k optician , Barnett is aware that for shortsighted daytime contact lens wearers, there is now a new treatment alternative in the shape of Overnight Vision Correction which offers all the benefits of laser surgery in terms of providing perfect lens-free daytime vision but without any surgery. The treatment uses tiny bespoke contact lenses to correct vision overnight while sleeping by gently flattening the surface of the eye. After the lenses are removed each morning, the wearer enjoys perfect natural vision until the lenses are reinserted at night.

Check if you are suitable for overnight ortho-k corrective contact lenses .