IF THERE is one spectacle wearer who needs to ensure they have good eyesight, it has to be Santa.
After all, if he misreads the many letters he gets at this time of year, we could all end up on the naughty list, and not just the editor of this august publication.
So, thank goodness that an optician with branches in Reading, Wokingham, Earley and Woodley offers home visits.
Specsavers says that over the past decade, it has visited more than 750,000 people at home for their eye tests, with more than 5,500 of them being aged 100 or over.
Santa, at the young age of 1,752, is the latest, and a team caught the polar express to drop into the North Pole and have a butchers at his blinkers.
Specsavers says the tests are important because they play a crucial role in helping those who are at risk of isolation from making their situation worse by not getting tested. It has also referred 20,000 people for treatment to help safeguard their sight in the past year alone.
The firm says the tests are available for people who qualify for an NHS-funded eye test and are unable to leave their home unaccompanied due to a physical or mental illness or disability.
Santa couldn’t leave the North Pole as he had a busy schedule ensuring the workshop was running smoothly.
Dawn Roberts, Specsavers Home Visits clinical director says: ‘We believe everyone deserves equal access to eye care – and Father Christmas is no exception. Over the past ten years, we have provided over 1 million tests to our domiciliary customers, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that we can provide the care people need, from the comfort of their own homes.
“Christmas is a particularly hard time for those who don’t have many people around them or are unable to visit others due to disability or illness. At Specsavers, we are a part of our local communities who know each other well and will always go the extra mile for our patients to ensure they have access to high-quality services for their everyday needs.”
For more details, log on to: www.specsavers.co.uk/home-eye-tests/eligibility
