Vision Care welcomes MP to clinic on World Homeless Day

Vision Care welcomes MP to clinic on World Homeless Day

Leicester MP Shockat Adam has seen first-hand how opticians are changing the lives of people affected by homelessness.

He visited an eye health clinic run by charity Vision Care in his constituency on World Homeless Day.

The visit was part of Vision Care’s ongoing work to raise awareness about the importance of accessible eye care for everyone, and to call for changes to the General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) contract so that people experiencing homelessness can access NHS eye care more easily wherever they live.

‘Vision Care provides a vital service for people experiencing homelessness,’ says Mr Adam. ‘As an optometrist myself, it is inspiring to see my fellow optical clinicians deliver this service. It is also humbling talking to patients who are benefitting from it.

‘I would urge anyone interested in finding out more about Vision Care to go to their website https://www.visioncarecharity.org/. You could help change lives with your support.’

Thanking the MP, Vision Care chief executive, Hannah Telfer, says: ‘It was great to welcome Mr Adam to one of our Vision Care clinics where he was able to see our expert volunteers delivering care first-hand. The lived experience of some of patients was also a powerful reminder of why the work of Vision Care matters.

‘We wanted to invite him on World Homeless Day because it’s an opportunity to raise awareness of the needs of people who experience homelessness. Our research has shown they have a higher proportion of uncorrected refractive error and therefore are much more in need of regular eye examinations and glasses.’

She adds that the charity’s clinics within homeless centres in England and Scotland are fully equipped with testing rooms staffed by volunteer optometrists, dispensing opticians, and assistants.

‘Our clinics provide eye care and glasses free of charge to anyone affected by homelessness or without means —- regardless of their eligibility for an NHS sight test,’ explains Ms Telfer.

Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, who also attended the clinic on 10 October, says: ‘I was so pleased to be invited to join Mr Ada and the Vision Care team. Specsavers have a long-standing relationship with Vision Care so it’s great be able to come and see the brilliant work they continue to do in our communities.

‘As a business we are committed to making healthcare accessible to all and to create long-term solutions to remove healthcare barriers. Collaborating with partners such as Vision Care is enabling us to collectively improve access to free, appropriate eye and hear care for people experiencing homelessness or other barriers to care.’