News / Homeless services
New eye care service for homeless people to launch in Bristol
A new service has launched in Bristol which hopes to provide better eye care for people experiencing homelessness.
Currently, many homeless and vulnerable people do not currently receive financial benefits, and are therefore not eligible for an NHS eye examination and a voucher towards their glasses
But eye care charity, Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), which operates a number of clinics throughout the UK works to provide those people with a fully comprehensive, high quality optical service free of charge.
Elaine Styles, co-founder and chair of VCHP said the service hopes to reduce the inequality homeless people experience.
“They often aren’t able to access healthcare and eyecare. We take ur service into a homeless day centre or hostel and set up a practice.
“We find that often homeless people find it difficult to go into a high street practice.
“This could be because they don’t feel comfortable going in or they may feel embarrassed because they don’t have an address to give, or they don’t know if they will be able to afford it.
“So we provide the service in a centre where they feel comfortable and welcome with the same professional standard.”
VCHP currently has seven clinics across the country, and Elaine hopes the charity’s partnership with Specsavers will allow them to expand their service to 24 clinics across the country.
The new clinic is due to open in Bristol’s Compass Centre in October. To support the service, VCHP and Specsavers have formed a user group to better understand the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
Insight from the group will inform how accessibility for all disadvantaged communities can be improved.
Specsavers has a long-running relationship with VCHP. The group’s founder Dame Mary Perkins became a patron of the charity in 2014.
Speaking about the new service, Dame Mary said: “As part of our long-term commitment to improving eye care accessibility for all, we have pledged to help people experiencing homelessness in particular as they are frequently disadvantaged when it comes to healthcare.”
“Our ethos is that we’re here for everyone – but we haven’t seen them all yet.
“Our partnership with VCHP supports our community endeavours, enabling the charity to expand its service provision so that more homeless people can receive the eye care they are entitled to.”
Main photo: Mia Vines Booth
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