Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin meets ear and eye care experts caring for patients

Mr Yasin, MP for Bedford, chatted to the team at Specsavers Bedford, on Friday (May 10), about how they are delivering NHS services and providing vital access to eye and ear care. “It was fantastic to meet the team at Specsavers Bedford, hearing about how experts are providing care on our high street. Supporting the NHS, they are helping look after the health of my constituents,” said Mr Yasin.

“It was also fascinating to hear about the training required for all members of the team, and how community opticians and audiologists have the skills to play an even bigger part in delivering critical services in the community.”

Mr Yasin also heard about how Specsavers Bedford, a locally owned and run business, supports community organisations and provides a range of career opportunities for local people.

Audiologist, Aekta Patel, who is a director of the store, says that the MP had a tour and spoke to the team about what each did. They spoke about Specsavers’ mission to change lives through better sight and hearing, improving access to care for all.

“We are locally owned and run, and proud to be at the heart of our community providing exceptional eye health and hearing care as well as supporting local organisations.

"Hearing loss is one of the most common health conditions and the impact of hearing loss can be significant. Whether it’s wax removal, a hearing test or a hearing aid fitting that's needed, we can ensure residents of Bedford can access the highest standard of audiology care close to home, without the need for unnecessary hospital appointments.”

Specsavers has more than 1,000 stores throughout the UK and is the leading provider of NHS primary care optometry services – testing more than 20 million eyes every year. It also provides more than 40% of NHS community audiology services in England, supporting more than 200,000 NHS audiology patients a year.

Specsavers Bedford is open seven days a week. To book an appointment, visit: https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/bedford or call the store on 01234 348944 for eye health specialists and 01234 419994 for audiology care.

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.