Dean Russell MP visited the newly opened Specsavers in Watford to help raise awareness about the importance of good eye health. Regular eye tests are crucial as they don’t just look at vision problems, they can identify underlying health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, an increased risk of stroke, and high cholesterol.
The modern facilities at the store are excellent and help to focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and importantly aftercare. Diagnostic tests are conducted upstairs and a dedicated glasses area is downstairs.
Dean visited the OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) room, and underwent retinal and glaucoma tests. The scans provided the optician with details about the health of the back of the eye. Dean met with the technicians who demonstrated the machines used to build the glasses with more than 100 orders every day.
Dean said that the store had a real community feel, with some staff having dedicated decades to helping patients. The store was very accessibility, both in terms of physical spaces and the focus on prevention. This, ultimately will help to contribute to cost savings for the NHS in the long term. Dean answered questions from ‘Optometry Today’ about the importance of eye care as part of his interview with them.
After the visit, Dean said, ‘I will be talking to colleagues about further access to community care on our high street. I want to make sure that people can receive emergency eye care without the need to go through their GP and hospital. The brilliant team at Specsavers really work hard to support the wellbeing of people in our town.
Good eye health is really important for our overall wellbeing. Eligible individuals should take advantage of free NHS eye tests, recommended every two years. More frequent tests, as advised by opticians, can be crucial in early detection and effective treatment of various eye conditions’.
