Scientist sets sights on testing of Covid-19 samples, with help from a Rochdale opticians

Mohammed Nafees collecting his glasses in store

A local scientist working in the NHS pathology laboratory urgently needed some safety glasses to be able to continue his vital work.

Mohammed Nafees, a specialist biomedical scientist at Manchester University NHS Trust, called the Rochdale Specsavers store and, adhering to the government’s guidelines on social distancing, staff at the store quickly made up some spectacles for him to collect.

Speaking of the service, Mohammed said: “As an NHS Specialist Biomedical Scientist involved in testing of samples such as Covid-19, it is absolutely essential that I use the correct PPE.

“I’m extremely grateful to the Rochdale store for getting the glasses made at such a short notice. I would also like to add that I was impressed by the measures put in place at the store to help reduce the spread of the virus.”

During lockdown, Specsavers stores throughout the UK have suspended routine eye and hearing tests, but they are still open to provide essential and urgent care to ensure emergency issues are not left untreated.

Sarah Culshaw, store director at Specsavers Rochdale, said: “Part of Specsavers’ ethos is that we are always here to help people when they need us most, and we want to help key workers like Mohammed as much as we can.

“Receiving feedback like this is an extremely rewarding part of the job and we’re all rooting for Mohammed and his colleagues at the Rochdale store.”

Specsavers' teams are classed as key workers to provide urgent and essential eye care to those who need it. This includes supporting other key workers who couldn’t function without their help and people who would come to harm without their health expertise, especially where the usual hospital services and NHS facilities are being prioritised for the fight against Covid-19.