Aberdeen North MP Kirsty Blackman has visited Specsavers Aberdeen to hear how local experts are delivering neighbourhood hearing and eye health care.
She chatted to the team about how it brings services closer to the community, supporting the wider health service, and how Specsavers is ready to do more even more to support the NHS.
‘Seeing and hearing first-hand how Specsavers Aberdeen is looking after the health of our community was very insightful,’ says Ms Blackman. ‘We also talked about how Specsavers has an important role on the high street, providing valuable jobs and careers.’
Ian Mclellan, audiology director in Aberdeenshire, says: ‘It was a pleasure to welcome Ms Blackman to Specsavers Aberdeen, talking about how we provide access to range of hearing and eye health services.
‘We also chatted to Kirsty about the opportunity that exists to deliver more NHS audiology services in the community, as we already do for eye care - building on our existing hearing test, hearing aid and hearing protection services. This would be good news for patients and the NHS, easing pressure on NHS hospitals and GP practices.’
Specsavers, he explains, is calling for an NHS-commissioned primary care audiology service for adults of all ages so everyone who needs NHS hearing care to refer themselves to a hearing care provider in the community.
If patients were able to access NHS audiology services in the community, through a primary care audiology service, they would be able to receive care more conveniently and more cost effectively for the NHS,’ adds Mr McKellen / Ranken / Fairley. ‘The commissioning of ear wax removal by primary care audiologists would also ensure that ability to pay is not a barrier to receiving care.’
Specsavers Aberdeen is open seven days a week. To book an appointment, visit: www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/aberdeen or call 01224 641234. For those that can’t leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness, Specsavers also offers a Home Visits service covering more than 90% of the UK – with more details available at www.specsavers.co.uk/home-eye-tests.