Tavistock’s new optician sees bright future for the town’s eye health

A NEW Tavistock optician is prioritising investing in his staff and supporting the local community for the years ahead.

Paul Bullard, a qualified dispensing optician, has taken up the retail director post at Specsavers Tavistock, bringing more than three decades of optical experience to his role.

The store, which employs 23 people, has provided eye health and hearing services to residents since 2002, using the latest technology.

Paul said that important technological advancements are the biggest change he’s seen in the industry during his career. This combined with a strong connection to the town and the surrounding area are key to his long-term plans.

An example of the store’s support of the town and surrounding area is its ongoing sponsorship of Princetown football club.

Paul, whose fellow director at the West Street store is optometrist Alex Belcher, says: ‘I really like Tavistock. It’s such a friendly and close-knit community. Everyone who comes to our store is so sociable and relaxed.

‘That’s one of the reasons our staff enjoy working here. It really helps us give that personal attention to patients, because we’ve got to know them over time.

‘A lot of our staff are local and we’re always keen to employ people from the area, as investing in local talent has a positive knock-on effect for the community.

‘We have four trainee optometrists and two trainee dispensing opticians, and we believe that this investment in local people brings real benefits to our customers, especially when combined with the latest retail and hospital-grade technology to provide a highly professional and modern service.’

State-of-the-art equipment like OCT (optical coherence tomography) machines can spot symptoms long before they become serious, which Paul says is hugely significant for people’s eye health and hearing.

He adds: ‘Things have changed dramatically in the 30-plus years I’ve been in the industry. It really is amazing what’s available to benefit customers on the high street now, and how much easier access is to these services.

‘For example, we have machines that can detect conditions four years earlier than before. This is really important because the earlier we spot anything serious, the sooner it can be treated, which will result in better outcomes.

‘This shows the importance of regular sight tests, because we can identify so much more than if someone just needs a prescription renewal.

‘We also have glaucoma screening and post-cataract screening, and we’ve increased our Sunday opening from 10am-4.30pm to 9am-5.30pm because many people have busy lives and we want to make sure they can access eye care when it’s convenient for them.

‘We’re also open till 6.30pm on weekdays, because some people find it difficult to see us in normal working hours.

‘This wasn’t available when I started, so things have changed immeasurably for customers, and I want to make sure this is the case for many more years in Tavistock.’

For further information or to book an appointment, call Tavistock Specsavers on 01822 619910 or go online at www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/tavistock.