Specsavers' partnership provides care to those experiencing homelessness across Yorkshire

In 2023, an estimated 6,225 people across Yorkshire and the Humber were pushed into homelessness - a figure which continues to rise.

To support those who face barriers in accessing eye care, Specsavers is piloting a service that will bring vital care to individuals experiencing homelessness.

It is provided by Specsavers’ home visits team – a specialist team of mobile opticians who can perform full and thorough eye tests outside of a store setting. Their services focus on maintaining people's eye health and vision and can help to detect any broader health issues. To provide access to as many people as possible, in a comfortable and familiar setting, the team have been visiting hostels and day centres across Yorkshire.

The support from the Bradford and York home visits teams is running as a one-year pilot as part of Specsavers wider access to care work.

VCHP is made up of volunteers who run optic clinics to preserve, protect and promote the importance of eye care among people experiencing homelessness. Specsavers has a long-running relationship with VCHP - the group’s founder Dame Mary Perkins became a patron of the charity in 2014. In 2023, they launched a five-year partnership to help VCHP grow its number of clinics across England and Scotland. Since 2013, VCHP has grown from seven to 11 clinics, with the ultimate aim to increase this to 24 by 2028.

VCHP is also partnered with a range of other partners in the optics industry including Yorkshire-based company, The Body Doctor, which has donated £2,500 worth of products designed to offer relief from common eye conditions. This allows individuals to tend to their needs, even if they don’t have regular access to eye health services.

Tony Wing, FBDO, VCHP Project Manager, says: ‘We are working with two Specsavers home visits teams in Yorkshire to better understand the needs of people experiencing homelessness, by taking eye care services into hostels and day centres.

‘Our early findings show that 30 per cent of those using the service say they would not feel comfortable visiting a high street optician. Some 42 per cent said an eye test was not a priority for them and 46 per cent had lost, broken or had their spectacles stolen.

‘Most concerning was that 96 per cent of those questioned are entitled to NHS eyecare but are not accessing it on the high street.’

Jacob Oswell, who heads up Specsavers’ York home visits service, adds: ‘We are proud to be joining forces with VCHP as we believe everyone deserves access to care which preserves our senses – especially members of our community who are pushed into homelessness.

‘Our purpose is to change lives through better sight and hearing. We know all too well the impact uncorrected vision or undetected sight conditions can have on a person’s quality of life. The fact that so many people experiencing homelessness need glasses, but face barriers when accessing eye care is something we can’t ignore.’

One client who accessed the service at Huddersfield Mission, adds: ‘I wasn’t able to see distances or distinguish faces. I knew I couldn’t see well and this was dangerous, but being homeless, my health took a back seat.’

Specsavers and VCHP are among those advocating for policy changes to reduce barriers for people experiencing homelessness to access NHS services.

[1]https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_release/at_least_309000_people_homeless_in_england_today