Boots Opticians in Congleton town centre remain open and are prioritising essential eyecare but are also offering an urgent Covid-19 eyecare scheme.

The store located on Bridge Street is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm and Saturdays 9am to 5pm.

The Covid-19 Urgent eyecare scheme (CUES) is a free service delivered by Congleton's Boots Opticians in partnership with hospital ophthalmology services.

The service will use technology to provide remote consultations to patients meaning more patients will be able to access services, either at or close to home, reducing the need for travel and hospital visits.

Mark Quinn, business development manager at Congleton Boots Opticians, said: "The service provides the quickest access to the right care for patients.

"This is crucial as delays to treatment can have a serious impact on long-term eye health, and in some cases even sight loss.

"Accessing help early, via the CUES service, will increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for patients."

Patients in the Congleton area can access the service by contacting their local Boots Opticians on 01260 272764.

Patients will then be provided with a remote consultation and a personalised care plan appropriate to their condition.

The care plan may support the patient to self-manage their condition or provide further professional advice and guidance, including prescriptions.

If a face-to-face consultation is "absolutely necessary", patients may be referred to another location or hospital service.

Measures have been put in place in hospitals and other services to reduce the risk of patients being exposed to or passing on Covid-19.

Boots Opticians also offer an enhanced eye examination using an Optos Optomap, which offers ultra-widefield retinal imaging and costs £20.

The benefits of having an optomap ultra-widefield retinal image taken are:

- Optomap facilitates early protection from vision impairment or blindness.

- Early detection of life-threatening diseases like cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

The unique optomap ultra-widefield view helps your eye care practitioner detect early signs of retinal disease more effectively and efficiently than with traditional eye exams.

Early detection means successful treatments can be administered and reduces the risk to your sight and health.