Asda will offer people diagnosed with diabetes free eye testing in stores under a new partnership with health provider InHealth.
The service has been rolled out to 16 stores, and Asda hopes to extend it to a further 14 by April 2023.
The supermarket already offers eye testing through its network of 130 in-store pharmacies, but the new partnership marks the first time it will offer tests specifically for diabetes-related eye conditions.
During appointments, digital images of the retina are taken, and then assessed for any sight-threatening conditions. Clinics will be open on Mondays to Fridays, with some limited Saturday clinics also available.
“We understand how important a service such as this is to those in our community, so to bring in such a well-respected company such as InHealth was an easy decision and one we hope will make a real difference,” said Asda healthcare partnerships manager Maq Din.
More than 4.9 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK, according to Diabetes UK. The condition can leave sufferers more at risk from eye conditions. The charity estimates more than 1,700 people have their sight affected each year as a result.
InHealth provides diagnostic health services on behalf of the NHS as part of a wider partnership between the two.
Asda’s new partnership with InHealth comes shortly after the supermarket ended its trial with DIY retailer B&Q, with the closure of eight in-store concessions. Asda said it would use learnings from the ‘test and learn’ exercise while setting its wider concessions policy.
In January, Asda also announced the closure of seven in-store pharmacies and 23 in-store Post Office branches, as part of wider shake-up of its store operations. More than 200 night managers and 4,000 nightshift workers will switch to morning and twilight shifts under the plans.
The new service will be avilable in Asda stores in Barnes Hill, Barnstaple, Cape Hill, Chelmsley Wood, Darlaston, Halesowen, Oldbury, Peterborough, Shirley, Small Heath, South Ruislip, South Woodham Ferrers, St Matthews, Tilehurst, Weston-super-Mare, and Wolverhampton.
No comments yet