In a bid to improve access to essential eye and hearing care, Specsavers Morningside, in partnership with local Edinburgh businesses, held a dedicated out-of-hours clinic for people experiencing homelessness.
The locally owned store on Morningside Road opened its doors after hours on Monday 13 October, offering free eye tests, glasses, and hearing checks. The evening clinic created a calm, welcoming space where individuals could access professional healthcare support in a quieter and more relaxed setting.
The clinic was supported by a number of nearby businesses, including St James Management, Houseproud, Waitrose, Toys Galore, JoJo Maman Bébé and 181 Deli who provided food, essential winter clothing and baby clothes for families, alongside free eye and hearing care services.
As part of a nationwide campaign for World Homeless Day, which took place on 10 October, more than 180 Specsavers stores and Home Visits businesses held out-of-hours or pop-up clinics and invited those affected by any form of homelessness to make use of their services.
In partnership Social Bite, Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland and The Bethany Christian Trust, the clinic held at the Morningside store welcomed several members of the local community. The store also regularly liaised with The Big Issue, Hillcrest, Crisis and Shelter ahead of the special event.
Those who came into the store were offered a sight test, OCT scan and glasses, as well as hearing checks, wax removals and hearing devices.
This clinic was part of Specsavers’ wider homelessness programme to mark World Homeless Day by continuing to improve access to eye and hear care for people experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers to care – whether financial, residential or not being eligible for NHS support.
Michael O’Kane, clinical director at Specsavers Morningside and Cameron Toll, says:
‘To mark World Homeless Day, we were pleased to host our first out-of-hours clinic to offer our services to people experiencing homelessness.
‘I am incredibly proud of the team and to Social Bite, Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland and The Bethany Christian Trust who helped make this possible.
‘It is our long-term aim to ensure that everyone can access free, appropriate eye and hearing care which ultimately will help improve quality of life.
‘Specsavers as a business, and as a local team within the Morningside community and beyond, is committed to making healthcare accessible to everyone. I really hope that this helps raise awareness of the issue and the current barriers people are facing.’
As well as running eye and ear care clinics across stores outside of World Homeless Day, 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 and ear care they need. Long term plans include influencing policy and systems, so people affected have access to free ear checks, eye tests and glasses, and replacement glasses if broken, lost or stolen.
To find out more, visit specsavers.co.uk/news-and-information/community/homelessness.
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