When Bromsgrove HGV driver Steve Hughes popped along to the opticians he expected to get a new prescription for his lenses.

Instead, within hours he was in hospital being told he needed surgery straight away to save the sigh in one eye.

It was a good thing that his opticians, Specsavers, were open during the pandemic under government guidelines covering eye and hearing needs.

And it was also a good thing that graduate optometrist Aleena Mohammed – kitted out in full PPE - spotted that things did not look right when she did a full eye examination.

She referred 57-year-old Steve straight away to hospital with s suspected detached retina, and the next morning he was at Birmingham Eye Hospital where doctors confirmed the diagnosis and advised immediate surgery.

The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye and relays electrical signals to send the brain.

‘I was incredibly lucky as the doctors advised I could have lost my sight in that eye if I’d delayed in seeing my optician,’ adds Steve. ‘It really has brought home the importance of not neglecting your health, especially during the lockdown.’

Steve is now at home recuperating and his vision is slowly returning to normal.