AN OPTICIANS in Warrington is opening its store out-of-hours to offer free eye care and glasses for people experiencing homelessness.
Specsavers Warrington, which is locally owned and run, is holding a weekly eye care clinic for people in need of a sight test, OCT scan and glasses outside of business hours.
The clinics are taking place on Thursdays to offer people experiencing homelessness a quieter environment in which to speak to a healthcare professional.
Specsavers Warrington has offered its services to Warrington Living Well Hub and is inviting those affected by any form of homelessness to book an out-of-hours appointment.
The clinics are part of Specsavers’ wider homelessness programme that aims to improve access to eye care for people experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers to care – whether financial, residential or due to not being eligible for NHS support.
One in three people experiencing homelessness needs glasses, so the clinic, one of many operating in Specsavers stores nationwide, offers an invaluable service to those facing barriers to accessing eye care.
Victoria Evans, store director at Specsavers Warrington, says: ‘Our ambition is to ensure that everyone experiencing homelessness can access free, appropriate eye care.
‘By helping people achieve better sight, we hope to improve their quality of life and unfortunately, we know that for many, this is not the case because it can be incredibly difficult to access this care for free.
‘We hope to work closely with any relevant charities within the Warrington area to welcome people affected by homelessness into our store. We are aiming to make expert care accessible to our community whilst raising awareness of the barriers currently in place.’
As well as running eye and ear care clinics across stores, Specsavers also collaborates with Crisis, Vision Care, Big Issue and other homelessness services to create long-term solutions to remove healthcare barriers.
Specsavers is also calling for changes to government policy to remove unnecessary barriers that make it difficult for people experiencing homelessness to access the eye care they need. Long-term plans include influencing policies and systems to ensure people can access free ear checks, eye tests, and glasses, and replacement glasses if they are broken, lost, or stolen.
To find out more, visit specsavers.co.uk/news-and-information/community/homelessness or contact Specsavers Warrington on 01925 240351
