By James Connolly - SWNS

A woman was left stunned when a routine trip to the optician ended with her being told that she was having a heart attack.

Norma Booth had been feeling dizzy and unwell so booked a check-up thinking her vision might be to blame. But instead of being told she needed new glasses, she was told she needed an ambulance.

The unexpected diagnosis came when Norma was offered a blood pressure check, which is now available during standard eye tests as part of a new NHS trial.

The results showed that her blood pressure was so high that the team immediately contacted her GP, before she was rushed to hospital.

Once there, doctors confirmed the news - she had actually been suffering a heart attack.

Norma, from Stockport, said: "It's a miracle. Absolutely a life-saver.

"If somebody says do you want your blood pressure tested, do it. It's telling you what is wrong with your body."

(Image - David Travis / Unsplash)

Optician Gohar Majid, who carried out the test, said: "She dismissed it thinking it is always low, but it had been over a year since her last test, so while we had time, we did a blood pressure test and it was a lot higher than we expected."

Norma isn't the only person to benefit from the pioneering new scheme.

The initiative is being trialled in four areas of England including Greater Manchester and has already completed 4,000 tests - with an estimated 44 lives saved in its first eight months.

Health chiefs said the simple checks could be a game-changer for spotting silent killers like high blood pressure.

The clinical lead for the pilot in Greater Manchester, Julia Maiden, from Wigan Local Optical Committee, said: "The data highlights the service's effectiveness in identifying undiagnosed hypertension - an intervention that can significantly reduce long-term cardiovascular risk."

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