Milton Keynes MP Ben Everitt has officially opened a new Optical Express clinic in the town centre, bringing the latest eye treatment and technology to the area.
Eye care experts Optical Express have invested £3.4 million into the facility – one of the largest investments the company has ever made in a single clinic. The clinic will bring a high-quality health service to the town, meaning Milton Keynes residents can access the latest eye care treatments without the need to travel.
Optical Express is the UK’s only complete eye care provider and the leading provider of laser eye, lens replacement, and private cataract surgeries. Having established their first clinic in Milton Keynes in 2002, the firm has a long-term commitment to the town, and the upgraded new clinic brings the latest in optical diagnostic and treatment equipment. The eye clinic will support around 20 local jobs.
Patients at the new clinic will benefit from advanced diagnostic technologies from providers Johnson & Johnson and Zeiss – allowing the Optical Express clinicians to diagnose a range of eye conditions earlier and recommend a suitable treatment option.
It is anticipated that the new clinic will treat patients on NHS waiting lists, in addition to private patients. Both NHS and privately funded treatments at the clinic will alleviate demand on existing local NHS services – at a time when they have come under increased pressure due to COVID-19.
The clinic has the capacity to significantly reduce eye care waiting times in the town, particularly for those in need of cataract surgery. Cataracts worsen over time and can cause blindness without proper care and so timely treatment is vital. If left untreated, patients with a cataract can become increasingly unable to undertake many everyday tasks, which can have a significant impact on a patient’s health and wellbeing.
Ben Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, said:
“It was a pleasure to visit the new clinic. Such a significant investment represents a real vote of confidence in Milton Keynes and the future of our town.
“This state of the art clinic, and the highly professional team who work here, are a great advertisement for Milton Keynes. Our post-pandemic recovery has got off to a great start, and as major brands like Optical Express continue to flock to the town centre I am assured of our ongoing success.”
Optical Express CEO and Founder, David Moulsdale, said:
“We have had a clinic in Milton Keynes for almost two decades and we know how vibrant the town is. This major new investment here means we can bring the most advanced eye care closer to people’s home, making looking after their eyes and staying healthy easier than ever.
“The new clinic is the latest in our continued plans for growth throughout 2021. We are determined that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be to continue to expand and invest in our excellent clinics. We’re aiming to retain and attract the very best local talent, and are recruiting for a variety of roles, including optometrists and clinic managers, across the country.”
The clinic is offering every patient a free consultation for laser or lens / cataract surgery which includes a comprehensive eye health check, using the latest diagnostic equipment. The Optical Express clinic team will educate patients and the wider public on the many benefits, particularly environmental, of refractive surgery and ultimately help reduce the carbon footprint created by the eye care industry. Optical Express’s own research shows that every year in the UK alone, over 750 million contact lenses are thrown down the drain or into landfill, leading to a build-up of microplastics in our oceans[1], and the carbon footprint created by the manufacturing and shipping of glasses is significant. Like all Optical Express clinics, the new Milton Keynes clinic will also provide a specialist recycling station for plastic contact lenses and their packaging.
[1] Optical Express survey of 3,104 Contact Lens wearers.
