Case Study: Vision Care for Homeless People – Gloucester Clinic

17 March 2023

 

Bringing general ophthalmic services (GOS) to homeless people is the subject of this month’s case study.

It looks at a partnership between the charity Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), NHS Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire LOC, and local practitioners to set up and open a static clinic in Gloucester.

The purpose of the service was to improve health and reduce inequalities by providing sight testing for the homeless population.

Gloucestershire LOC recognised in September 2019 that there was a need within the county and approached VCHP to work in partnership to deliver a service locally.

In March 2022, VCHP fitted out a clinic room in the city with all the equipment needed and began seeing patients.

The clinic is staffed by local volunteers and the LOC helped to recruit local optometrists and dispensing opticians to staff it. They all undertook training by VCHP including safeguarding, systems, and data protection.

Karen Gennard, VCHP’s New Clinic Development Manager, said:

“VCHP aims to increase the number of static clinics over the next three years, along with supporting clinicians and practices to run pop-up clinics in their local area. We hope to work with ICBs and LOCs to provide these services. This will enable us to reach more of the homeless community and make sure there is access to health care, free of charge at the point of service, in a place that is welcoming and convenient.”

Since the clinic has been opened 93% of patients seen in the service were prescribed with new spectacles, 18% were referred for further care.

You can read the full case study here.

Alvaro Borges, Gloucestershire LOC and LOCSU Optical Lead recently spoke to BBC News on this subject.