The simple act of seeing clearly is a privilege many of us take for granted. Yet, for those navigating the complexities of homelessness or financial hardship, a pair of glasses is often an unreachable luxury rather than a basic necessity.
Read on to learn how a dedicated team of specialists worked to bridge this gap in the bustling heart of Manchester. We highlight a collaborative initiative that provided essential care to those in need – from restoring confidence through new prescriptions to detecting sight-threatening conditions that could have led to permanent blindness.
A Vital Collaboration for Manchester’s Disadvantaged
The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation teamed up with the Manchester Homeless Partnership to host an incredibly worthwhile clinic, specifically designed for individuals and disadvantaged families who fall outside the traditional safety nets of NHS eligibility. This initiative marked a significant milestone for health equity in the city, providing a direct link to care for those most in need.
Key to the clinic’s success was the high-level clinical oversight necessary to treat those in urgent need of specialist attention. Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Optegra, Saruban Pasu gave up his free time to support the initiative, working alongside volunteer optometrists as the resident ophthalmologist. In this role, he addressed complex medical queries and managed challenging cases that required an expert surgical perspective.
Breaking the Cycle of Visual Isolation
The scale of the vision crisis in the UK is often underestimated. While approximately 73% of the population requires some form of vision correction, nearly eight million people are living with uncorrected poor vision. For individuals experiencing homelessness, these barriers are systemic.
Without a fixed address or consistent GP registration, many find themselves entirely excluded from standard eye care. This lack of clarity makes it significantly harder to access support services or secure employment. As Margarida Barata, Europe Programmes Director at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, noted:
“Homelessness and poor vision are both isolating. Together, they can be devastating. This clinic is about breaking that cycle because we know that when someone can see clearly, everything else becomes a little more possible.”
Expert Care on the Front Line
For Mr Pasu, the decision to volunteer was rooted in a foundational commitment to humanitarian service. Having followed the work of the OneSight Foundation prior to Optegra joining EssilorLuxottica, he was keen to apply his skill set to the foundation’s goals following the acquisition.
The impact of the clinic was often immediate and deeply personal. While many clients were moved to tears, others were left speechless by their newfound clarity. As Mr Pasu observed, while the act of providing glasses may seem small in a standard clinical setting, for those facing the instability of the streets, it hits differently, offering a fundamental restoration of agency.
Life-Saving Interventions: A Case Study in Prevention
The clinical necessity of such outreach was underscored by an encounter with a patient who had never visited an optician. After receiving her first pair of glasses, she was referred to Mr Pasu for a dilated retinal examination due to her diabetic history.
The examination revealed a significant level of diabetic retinopathy. If left undetected, this condition would likely have progressed to irreversible blindness. By identifying the pathology early, the team was able to refer her directly to a local NHS Trust for the specialist monitoring required to save her sight. This intervention proves that such clinics do not just provide glasses; they provide life-altering preventative medicine.
A United Vision for Change
The success of the Manchester initiative was a testament to the power of industry collaboration. Supported by colleagues across EssilorLuxottica, including Vision Express, David Clulow and Optegra, and HumanWare, the project demonstrated what can be achieved when specialists unite to tackle health inequalities.
By removing the barriers to eye care, we are doing more than correcting vision – we are providing the clarity and confidence necessary for Manchester’s most vulnerable residents to look toward a more stable future.
By Author: Saruban Pasu
Mr Pasu is a well established, five star rated cataract surgeon performing more than 1,200 procedures a year. He is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Internal Lead for Training at Optegra.
Medically Reviewed Date: 6th May 2026
