Specsavers ready to be part of change on eye and hearing care
Newly elected Labour UK Government had manifesto pledge to expand the role of many primary care professionals
©Gov.UK
SPECSAVERS says it stands ready to help new PM Keir Starmer’s UK government deliver eye and ear health care to improve access to care for patients and support the NHS.
During the election campaign, new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that the NHS needed to move to a neighbourhood health service with more care delivered in local communities. The Labour manifesto also vowed to ease pressure off GP surgeries by expanding the role of other primary care professionals.
‘To achieve this, we must over time shift resources to primary care and community services,” reads Labour’s manifesto. “We will allow other professionals, such as opticians, to make direct referrals to specialist services or tests, as well as expanding self-referral routes where appropriate.”
During the election, Mr. Streeting also visited Specsavers Morecombe to see first hand the positive impact that such community services provide and highlighted the role of primary care optometry several times during the campaign. Candidates from other parties also visited Specsavers stores nationwide.
Courtesy of Specsavers
Giles Edmonds,
Specsavers clinical services director
Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, says: “As a leading provider of NHS primary care ophthalmic and audiology services, we welcome plans to make greater use of high street optometry and audiology services to cut waiting lists and provide more accessible and convenient care for patients.”
He adds that the Specsavers manifesto for better sight and hearing, published during the election campaign, highlights steps that will make better use of community optometry and audiology to deliver more healthcare closer to home.
“The manifesto focuses on reforms that will have the biggest impact on improving access to care – with action in England needed in particular to tackle a postcode lottery,” says Mr Edmonds. “That includes the introduction of a nationally commissioned community urgent eye care service to treat minor eye conditions available from NHS opticians in every community throughout England.”
A primary care audiology service to include ear wax removal
Specsavers’ manifesto also sets out the need for a nationally commissioned primary care audiology service for adults of all ages so everyone who needs NHS hearing care can refer themselves to a hearing care provider in the community.
© Specsavers
The retail group underlines the need for commissioning of removal of ear wax by primary care audiologists working in the community, “so that ability to pay is not a barrier to receiving care”. Efforts to encourage hearing aid use as a means of facilitating life-long learning, continuing employment, maintaining independence and social engagement is another ‘ask’ of the manifesto.
“We stand ready to partner with NHS hospital eye and audiology services and GP to improve patient care. We will continue to work with colleagues across the primary eye and ear health sector to continue to make the positive case for improved access to care for patients, the NHS and the country,” concludes Edmonds.
