In a bid to make eye and hearing care more accessible in the local community, Specsavers Teesside Audiology Home Visits teamed up with the charity Crisis to hold a pop‑up clinic for people experiencing homelessness in Newcastle.
The locally owned and run Sunderland‑based business provided free hearing care services, including hearing tests, hearing aids and wax removal, at the Crisis Skylight centre in Newcastle on Wednesday 14 January, offering a comfortable, quieter space where people in need could speak with a healthcare professional.
In partnership with Crisis, the clinic held in Newcastle welcomed six members of the local community. Those who popped into the clinic were offered a hearing test, as well as hearing aids and wax removal services.
The team carried out six hearing tests and completed one ear wax removal on the day. The Specsavers team also handed out care packages containing hats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, a coffee cup and coffee, a notepad and pen and some sleep hearing protection to all who attended.
Graham Greenwell, audiology director at Specsavers Teesside Audiology Home Visits, says:
‘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 Crisis 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 Northumberland, County Durham, Teesside and Tyneside community, 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, 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 or contact your local Specsavers Home Visits team here specsavers.co.uk/home-visits/request-a-free-home-visit.
