LAST week I was busy with meetings in Devon and Westminster.

In the constituency, much of my work has focused on Healthcare provision and Primary Care Services.

Last Friday, I visited Specsavers in Okehampton to meet with the team and to discuss the vital NHS care that local experts and audiologists are providing, as well as their desire to do more.

During my visit, I was given a tour of the store and the chance to hear about how, as a local owned and run organisation, Specsavers supports the community and provides a range of services and career opportunities.

Across the UK, Specsavers provides NHS funded eye health and hearing loss services to one in 10 of the population every year, health conditions for which timely intervention is key.

Undiagnosed eye and ear related issues can lead to long-term and irreversible health complications, including blindness and dementia.

This is why it is vitally important that NHS services, such as those provided by Specsavers, are easily accessible to the public.

While visiting, I was able to hear from the Okehampton team first-hand about their mission to increase Specsavers’ offering to a full suite of NHS services.

Currently, the Okehampton branch is not able to offer Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECs) in the local area, and Okehampton residents are required to go to a hospital or a secondary care unit to access treatment.

The team informed me that they were urging the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to commission MECs locally, as is the case in Tavistock and Launceston.

I will be working with the Specsavers team at Okehampton in the coming months to further understand the practicality of this proposal and support their endeavours in wherever appropriate.

Taking the strain off our Primary Care Services and ensuring that patients are seen quickly, efficiently, and by the appropriate person is something that the Government is strongly committed to and I see many examples of this locally in our constituency.

While out and about last week, I also had the chance to pop into a local pharmacy to get some feedback on the Pharmacy First scheme; a consultation service which enables patients to be referred to community pharmacies for minor illnesses or urgent repeat prescriptions.

I made a careful note of the comments made, and I look forward to hearing from other pharmacies over the next few months.

Prevention of health conditions is just as important as treatment, which is why I was pleased to see the Tobacco and Vapes Bill pass its second reading in the House of Commons last week.

I have long been concerned about the uniquely harmful impact of smoking, particularly where children are concerned, and I was closely involved in the successful campaign for plain packaged tobacco products in 2014.

This Bill is world-leading in its approach and, hopefully when it becomes law, will bring the UK closer to creating the first smokefree generation and reducing the burden on our NHS. 

By Mel Stride, the MP for Central Devon