By HEALTH EDITOR | UPDATED: 08:28, 07 May 2020
Vision Direct has pledged to give thousands of frontline workers free contact lenses to make their personal protective equipment easier to navigate and more comfortable.
Vision Direct is giving away 4,000 free packs of daily disposable contact lenses to people working for the NHS, police and fire service, social care staff and teachers.
Contact lenses are the least obstructive form of vision correction to wear under masking, visors and other PPE, because they don’t require any adjustments or wiping down during the day.
Glasses fog up under protective masks, reducing the visibility of the wearer. Wearing lenses will provide staff with better clarity and comfort, as well as seamless peripheral vision, which is important for key workers in their roles.
Ashley Mealor, Vision Direct’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “The staff working hard at the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak really are our heroes.
“We are so grateful for their sacrifice to look after the nation and keep us safe, during these unprecedented times.
“As a way of saying thank you, we’d like to give out 4,000 free packs of contact lenses.”
To participate in the free lenses scheme, all applicants need to do is email a photo of themselves with their work ID, to then receive a unique code for a free month’s supply of everclear ADM.
More information about the exclusive offer can be found at visiondirect.co.uk/free-lenses-for- key-workers
Lucas Fernández, a senior nurse at University College Hospital, said: “Wearing glasses underneath a visor makes things a lot more complicated for those of us on the frontline needing vision correction.
“Protective equipment is not made with breathable materials, making glasses fog up and slide down the nose – and the process of wiping them down or pushing them up at various points of the day is long and complex.
“We have to disinfect our hands, the mask and our glasses every single time we touch them, even if it’s with gloves. But with contacts, you can safely insert/remove them at home and not have to worry about them during the day.”