Sir Roger Gale MP calls on constituents to look after their eyesight

Pictured (left to right), Charles Greenwood, Kent and Medway Local Optical Committee, Jo Connell, Sanford Opticians and Sir Roger Gale, MP for Thanet North

Sir Roger Gale, MP for Thanet North, visited Sanford Opticians in his constituency on Wednesday 10th August to find out why regular sight tests are so important in preventing blindness.

At the visit, Sir Roger met with representatives from the Kent and Medway Local Optical Committee (LOC) and also heard about the greater role local optical practices are playing across the county, by delivering eye care over and above sight tests.

Practice owner and optometrist, Jo Connell, said: “It was great to meet with Sir Roger and talk about the importance of having regular sights tests, not just to determine whether you need glasses, but also to check the health of your eyes and for signs of eye conditions. We also spoke about the greater role community optical practices are playing by delivering some eye care services over and above sight tests in Kent. We look forward to working with Sir Roger to ensure his constituents are able to benefit from as many of these services as possible.”

Commenting on the visit, Sir Roger Gale MP said: “Only those who have lost their sight can really understand what it means to enjoy a faculty that most of us take for granted. My own mother, who was driving until she was nearly 90, has found her mobility and the ability to live a full and active life curtailed as a result of sight loss, and I know the devastating effect it has had on her. It is vital that people avail themselves of the optical services available on the basis that prevention is infinitely better than the alternative, which may mean no cure at all.”