Black & Lizars partners up with new private medical clinic

Scottish optical group Black & Lizars is entering into a strategic partnership with one of Glasgow's newest medical enterprises.

The company is partnering with Glasgow Medical Rooms, one of only two private GPs in Glasgow city centre. It was founded this summer by Dr Sheila O'Neill and aims to provide a fast, efficient, on-demand medical service for companies, key individuals and staff, to minimise medically-related time off work.

The announcement of the new alliance coincided with National Eye Health Week (19–25 September), an annual initiative bringing healthcare professionals together to encourage more people to have regular sight tests and make lifestyle choices that benefit their vision and general wellbeing.

The partnership will facilitate early treatment if medical problems are uncovered during an eye examination and if optical issues present themselves while Dr O'Neill's patients are undergoing a medical examination.

The companies said an example of the type of cooperation which will exist, patients in Glasgow Medical Rooms could be assessed for macular degeneration and referred to Black & Lizars in Gordon Street, Glasgow, if necessary. Early identification of the condition can reduce the chance of blindness.

Michelle Le Prevost (pictured), who was appointed managing director of Black & Lizars earlier this year, has welcomed the new partnership.

She said: “We want to refer our clients to a highly professional practitioner who shares our ethos of providing the best possible quality of care.”

Before opening Glasgow Medical Rooms, Dr O'Neill was a partner for 20 years in a busy inner-city NHS practice on the south side of Glasgow.

Dr O’Neill said: "Black & Lizars is one of the most highly regarded health care companies in Scotland. It has continually invested in the most up-to-date optical technology. I will be pleased to refer my patients to their expert care for eye and hearing issues."

Black & Lizars recently celebrated its 185^th birthday. The Glasgow-based company has 24 branches in Scotland and one in Belfast.