Campaign highlighting community optometry named finalist for public affairs award

A campaign by Specsavers and Connect Public Affairs to highlight the “life-changing” role of community optometry to politicians has been named as a finalist in the PRCA-Polimonitor Public Affairs Awards. 

The awards recognise work achieved in public affairs and lobbying.

Specsavers collaborated with Connect Public Affairs to develop and execute the campaign highlighting community eye and ear health at the Labour and Conservative party conferences.

On a stand at both conferences, Specsavers clinicians provided eye and ear health checks using an optical coherence tomography machine and otoscope.

Individuals from Specsavers engaged with senior politicians, journalists and organisations at the conferences about how the sector supports patients and the NHS.

Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director, shared: “Optometrists and audiologists have been a central part of this campaign because they can bring to life what they do every day, changing lives of patients in their communities and supporting the NHS.”

Specsavers hosted two events discussing the need to improve access to care for people experiencing homelessness, and outlining the group’s work in this area.

“We also shared Specsavers Access to Care report, which sets out the role of community optometry and audiology in the nation’s health – and are ready and able to do more,” Edmonds said.

The collaborators have been shortlisted for the Best In-House Consultancy Collaboration Award, which recognises campaigns implemented by an in-house individual or team in conjunction with an external agency.

Commenting on the awards, Edmonds shared: “Being a finalist in these awards is as much a recognition of our colleagues across community optometry and audiology as anything. I congratulate them as well as colleagues in our support offices and Connect Public Affairs who worked on the campaign."

The winners of the PRCA-Polimonitor Public Affairs Awards will be announced at a ceremony on 1 February.