Eye health in focus for MP visit

On the back of National Eye Health Week (18-24 September), MP Heaton-Harris attended Specsavers in the Regal Centre to hear about the store’s optical and audiology services, which includes a Home Visits offering for those who are unable to visit the store unaccompanied.

Since Chris’ last visit in 2018, the store has undergone an extensive re-fit. Alongside an additional two new test rooms, the store’s renovation ensures a better customer experience, thanks to improved layout and design.

‘We were delighted to welcome Chris back into store,’ comments the store’s optical director Satvinder Soomal, who spent 10 years as hospital optometrist before joining Specsavers. ‘As a local provider of key healthcare services we’re keen to ensure that people are aware of the importance of taking care of their vision and hearing, and Chris’s visit helps to do just that.

‘Chris was eager to hear more about the important role that primary care optometrists have in their local communities and how the development in Specsavers optometrists, via further qualification, is helping to reduce the burden on the NHS.’

‘He was also impressed by the work we, as a team, are doing to support the community – particularly our collaboration with the local foodbank,’ adds the store’s retail director Sandeep Soomal. ‘We look forward to sharing more details about this in the coming months.’

Alongside a tour of the store, Chris underwent a full eye examination, including an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan. This state-of-the-art machine, which is usually found in hospital eye departments, is similar to an ultrasound or MRI scan, and produces detailed 3D pictures of the structures in the eye. This allows the optometrist to identify signs of diseases years earlier than traditional methods.

All the opticians at Specsavers in Daventry are also accredited to run additional eye health clinics, to help people with minor eye conditions, glaucoma refinement and cataract assessment. Anyone experiencing discomfort in their eyes, such as pain, redness or flashes of light can now attend the store as an alternative to going to their GP or hospital.

‘Eye examinations are about much more than testing your sight, they are an important health check, so we are taking our clinical expertise a stage further and enhancing the care we offer to our customers,’ continues Satvinder. ‘This comes with the added benefit of helping to reduce the pressure on our local GP surgeries and other NHS services.

‘All our opticians are externally accredited to offer enhanced optical services, retinal photography, OCT and Humphries visual field analysers to provide additional information about the eyes, help manage certain conditions and ultimately prevent sight loss.’

For more information or to arrange an appointment, visit 5 Regal Centre, Daventry, NTH, NN11 4DR, telephone 01327 879566 or visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/daventry.