A Finchley optometry practice has won a prestigious national award for its work slowing down sight deterioration in children.

Central Vision Opticians in Regents Park Road took home the prize for best ‘myopia management’ at The Optician Awards 2022. Myopia is the medical term for short-sightedness, for which people need to wear glasses to see objects from a distance.

The Optician Awards, which were founded over 30 years ago, recognise the highest levels of achievement in the UK’s optical industry. Central Vision’s founder, behavioural optometrist Bhavin Shah, said: “I am so thrilled and honoured to be recognised for the work that I do. It makes a lifelong impact to a child’s life.”

The award judges described the Finchley practice as boasting “a really well thought-out strategy to managing childhood myopia, delivered with great communication”. They also praised the firm’s digital output.

The number of children in the UK developing short-sightedness has doubled over the past 20 years, amid a global increase. Because myopia is a progressive condition in childhood, once a child becomes myopic their sight will further deteriorate growing up.

Central Vision Opticians has been working for the past seven years to slow myopia progression in children. “I take a holistic approach,” Bhavin said. “I look at the lifestyle factors such as kids who do a lot of reading or using screens. Children are increasingly becoming more myopic. They should have lots of time outdoors (even in the cold weather) and be taking breaks from reading and using screens.”

At the heart of Central Vision’s strategy is the use of specialist contact lenses. “Children are generally happier with contact lenses, they can play sports better and, at the same time, the effect of slowing the change will protect their eyes in later life.”

Effective communication is another element of the strategy that impressed the awards jury. Bhavin said: “I’ve been working on ways to communicate myopia to parents and children, finding the right way to deliver the right type of information so they understand. Parents and children have their own concerns and worries, and we address them honestly and authentically to provide the best individual service.

“We also have fantastic feedback from parents and kids about the benefits.”