A woman whose stroke went undetected by a hospital has thanked her optometrist for potentially saving her life.

Jackie Fossey, 71, decided to visit her doctor when she started seeing flashing lights and thought she was suffering from a migraine.

But after doctors at Broomfield said they couldn’t find a problem, Mrs Fossey decided to get a second opinion from Specsavers in Braintree High Street.

It was there that opthalmic director, Miraj Patel, spotted abnormalities in Mrs Fossey’s peripheral vision during a routine field vision test and he referred her back to Broomfield Hospital the same day.

A CCT scan then revealed the grandmother-of-two, of Chestnut Grove, had suffered a minor stroke which could have developed into a major attack.

She said: "If it wasn’t for Miraj, I don’t know what would have happened. I am so grateful he was so thorough."

Mrs Fossey experienced no other stroke symptoms, such as facial weakness, loss of arm control or speech problems.

A spokesman for Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust said: "We always strive to provide the best possible experience and care for our patients.

"Because of the specialist nature of the diagnosis, once Mrs Fossey had been seen by a senior consultant in the Stroke Service Department at the hospital, Dr Shah, the appropriate treatment for her condition was given. "