A new poll of over 2,000 British adults commissioned by Optical Express has revealed that more than half of Brits (52%) feel that the job NHS and emergency workers do is not sufficiently appreciated.
Despite the fact that one in every two workers (51%) believe that their own job is appreciated by their employer, the poll found that most people feel that NHS and emergency workers are underappreciated.
When asked who deserved our gratitude the most for their efforts over the last three years, more than half (54%) of people said nurses. The poll shows just how much gratitude the public have for nurses and other NHS workers and the efforts they make every day to keep us all safe, particularly following the pandemic.
The poll was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Optical Express. The UK’s number one private provider of laser eye surgery, lens replacement surgery and cataract surgery has relaunched its ‘Thanks a Million’ campaign which will provide £1 million worth of free laser eye surgery to NHS and emergency workers, to thank them for their service. Optical Express first launched the extremely successful and well-received campaign in 2017, and has improved the lives of thousands of NHS and emergency workers over the years. Optical Express are proud to have supported hundreds of humanitarian and philanthropic projects for more than 30 years, donating over £33 million and counting to worthwhile causes in the UK and abroad.
Deborah, a paramedic who received free eye surgery in 2017, said: “I’m a shift worker, and I wore contact lenses on day shift and glasses on night shift. They say you should only wear contacts for about 12 hours, but because my shift was 12 hours long, I was wearing them for a lot longer than that.
“My vision at work now is 100% better. I don’t have to worry about my glasses steaming up, getting wet in the rain or sliding down my face in hot situations, which has made a really big difference to my working life.”
After struggling with glasses and contact lenses for 15 years, NHS doctor and former Miss England Bhasha Mukherjee’s life was changed by laser eye surgery. Following treatment she said “Having laser eye surgery with Optical Express has completely transformed my life. On the hospital wards I feel so much freer without the burden of glasses on my face, getting in the way of my PPE and other equipment. I feel so much safer too, knowing that not wearing contact lenses means there’s less chance I am spreading or catching infections.”
David Moulsdale, Chairman and CEO of Optical Express, said “Optical Express is excited to relaunch our ‘Thanks a Million’ campaign again, which will allow us to improve the lives of so many more hardworking people. We first launched the campaign because, as this poll shows, it is important to say thank you to those who sadly do not hear it often enough.
“People are rightly proud of our NHS and emergency services in this country, and they work tirelessly to keep us safe. We are delighted that we can contribute to giving them the thanks that they deserve.”
Applications for Thanks A Million 2023 are now closed.