28 June 2023

BBC newsreader rushed to hospital after optometrist identifies detached retina

The BBC Wales newsreader revealed that she 'could have lost her sight' had it not been for her optometrist, according to the newspaper report.

You may have seen the news story about Lucy Owen who was found to have a retinal detachment after visiting her optometrist for a sight test. A retinal detachment occurs when the retina at the back of the eye separates from its normal position and, like in Lucy’s case, requires surgery to fix it.

Fortunately, retinal detachments are rare but if you notice:

  • a sudden increase in floaters, particularly if you also notice flashing lights
  • a new, large, floater
  • a change in floaters or flashing lights after you have had a direct blow to your eye or head
  • a shadow or cobweb spreading across the vision of one of your eyes.

You should contact your optometrist as soon as possible. If you can’t contact your optometrist, you should get urgent attention, ideally from an eye casualty department at the hospital. If you cannot get to an eye casualty you should go to a hospital A&E department.

Patient information

Related further reading

This article describes sleep and its regulation, and the specific contribution of the eye.

This paper describes how viruses infect, reproduce and damage cells. Knowing this process is critical for understanding how to treat ocular viral infections.

The use of evidence-based optometry Is encouraged, but research can be hard to decipher. We break down some commonly used terms.