Event puts eye health care for people experiencing homelessness in focus

30 April 2025

CARLA Denyer, MP for Bristol Central and Co-leader of the Green Party, joined senior leaders from the optical sector, services and charities, plus people with lived experience of homelessness to discuss the barriers that people currently experiencing homelessness face in accessing healthcare, on Thursday 17 April at the Mercure Hotel, Bristol Central.

Organised by Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), in collaboration with Specsavers, the event included an expert panel chaired by Specsavers director of professional advancement, Paul Morris.

Carla Denyer, MP, was joined by David Hewlett from FODO, The Association For Eye Care Providers, and Elaine Styles from VCHP to discuss some of the solutions that can help increase access to eye care for everyone. David O'Sullivan, Chief Optometric Advisor for the Welsh Government, also shared some insight about how removing pre-visit notifications in Wales has made it easier to provide eye care services to more people.

‘We live in the sixth richest country in the world, yet many people don’t have access to fundamental rights – healthcare and a safe, secure and affordable home,’ comments Carla. ‘This is unacceptable. Homeless people are much more likely to experience medical eye conditions than the general population and often don’t receive the care they need to treat these.

‘It’s wonderful to come together with Vision Care for Homeless People and Specsavers to discuss the solutions that will allow everyone to get eye tests and eye care when they need to. Conversations like these give me hope that we can create a society in which everyone has a safe, warm place they can call home and can access vital health care that so many of us rely on every day.’

The more than 60 invited guests also heard from VCHP Chief Executive, Hannah Telfer, who highlighted some stark statistics, but also revealed how removing barriers that people experiencing homelessness continue to face in accessing eye care, can bring wide ranging benefits.

In the two years Specsavers and VCHP have been working together, they’ve found that a positive experience of eye care can give people confidence to access other care they may need. The networking event followed a pilot run by VCHP and Specsavers Home Visits teams to provide free eye tests and glasses across East and West Yorkshire.

‘We wanted to take eyecare to people affected by homelessness where they are,’ comments the chair of VCHP, Elaine Styles. ‘The pilot included attending homeless shelters, hostels and other locations. We found that 89% of patients were eligible for NHS-funded eyecare but, due to barriers, would not have accessed it if VCHP had not come to them.

‘Pop-up community eye clinics, such as these, are often the frontline in preventing serious disease and disability - when eye conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration are not caught early they can result in permanent sight loss.’

The decision to introduce the domiciliary pilot was made after the Specsavers Bristol Merchant Street store trialled successful out-of-hours clinics for patients affected by homelessness and worked extensively with people with lived experience. This work helped Specsavers to improve access and service delivery, and to roll out a best practice model of the out of hours service to all stores.

‘It was a huge privilege to chair this important event,’ adds Paul Morris. ‘At Specsavers, our purpose is to change lives through better sight and hearing. We will not solve every problem, but we can play our part, which is why events like this are integral to identifying challenges and creating solutions – with the aim of improving access to eye care for all. 

‘Helping people experiencing homelessness is a particular focus as they are frequently disadvantaged when it comes to healthcare. The key to change is influence, passion and persistence, things that were all very visible during the event and it was inspiring to be part of the discussion. While there are still challenges to overcome, it’s clear that more progress can be made, as it already has been in other countries, if we continue to work together.’ Specsavers has a long-running relationship with VCHP, with Specsavers founder, Dame Mary Perkins becoming a patron of the charity in 2014. As well as donating free frames and optical equipment, Specsavers has helped fund the charity’s expansion.

VCHP operates several clinics throughout England, including services in Bristol, Gloucester, Plymouth, Exeter, Brighton, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Edinburgh.