A new healthy living scheme has been launched at a Sutton opticians.

Healthy Living practice lead Michelle Dyoss, Everyone Health Notts representative Bonnie Johnson, and David Cartwright, from the General Optical Council, joined the store team to officially unveil the scheme at Specsavers.

The store is now accredited as a Healthy Living Optician, a quality mark awarded to opticians that proactively engage in supporting the health and wellbeing of their community.

As part of the scheme, the store, in the Idlewells Shopping Centre, now offers advice and signposting to customers, including for help with stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake and NHS health checks.

Similar to the service provided by pharmacists, Healthy Living Opticians aim to improve the accessibility of these essential NHS resources, by making sure people know how to access them.

“Regular sight tests can often uncover other health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, so we regularly direct customers to their GP or hospital where they can get more advice,” said Nigel Davidson, store director.

“Becoming a Healthy Living Optician under this scheme means we can now provide expert advice around a host of common health issues.”

Having been fully trained as healthy living champions, ten members of the Specsavers team are equipped to offer advice — free of charge — to people living or working locally.

To find out more about the services on offer, or to book an appointment, call into Specsavers at Unit 37, Idlewells Shopping Centre, Sutton, call 01623 552456 or go to specsavers.co.uk/stores/suttoninashfield