Our commitment
This statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and is relevant to New Medical Systems Limited (company number 06211662) and all its joint venture subsidiary companies (“Newmedica Group”). This statement determines the steps Newmedica has taken, and is continuing to take, to eradicate Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking from its internal and external supplier network and business and is relevant to the progress and plans for the financial year ending 28th February 2026. This statement has been approved by the board of directors of Newmedica.
Newmedica is a subsidiary of Specsavers Optical Group Limited and is therefore part of the Specsavers group of companies (“Specsavers Group”) and where applicable, the Specsavers Group assists Newmedica with purchasing. This statement therefore also reflects processes within the Specsavers Group which are applicable to Newmedica as set out herewith.
Newmedica is one of the leading providers of National Health Service (NHS)-funded ophthalmology across England, and provides services for NHS Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, and other providers of NHS funded services. During the financial year 2024/2025 the Newmedica Group delivered around 310,000 patient interactions across 35 sites, including outpatient appointments, diagnostic testing, and eye surgery. The Newmedica Group employs 995 colleagues across its support office and clinical sites. As part of this service Newmedica is committed to ensuring that the people who deliver such critical services do so free from any abuse, and in a safe and healthy environment. Newmedica has a zero-tolerance position in relation to any form of modern slavery and continues to put in place effective systems and controls to safeguard against any form of modern slavery risk throughout the business and across the services it delivers.
Our approach
Newmedica recognises the importance of training and embedding knowledge and understanding of human rights, ethical standards, and risks across the Newmedica business. Newmedica takes a robust approach to recruitment to ensure that staff are safeguarded against human trafficking or being forced to work against their will. This approach is integral and is operated as follows:
Throughout any recruitment process staff conduct eligibility to work in the UK checks for all directly employed staff and locum workers which are verified before they commence work.
We review all terms of recruitment agencies and ask them to provide assurance that pre-employment clearance has been obtained for agency staff.
Training about modern slavery and human trafficking is through mandatory safeguarding children and adults training programmes. All staff are trained to the relevant level of Safeguarding for their role and training is aligned to the intercollegiate document for Safeguarding Adults: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff.
Advice is provided to staff through our safeguarding policies, procedures, and our safeguarding leads.
Newmedica continues to monitor and comply with all respective laws and regulations to protect staff from poor treatment and/or exploitation. These include provision of fair pay, rates benchmarked to national standards, fair terms and conditions of employment, and access to training and development opportunities.
Newmedica operates a whistleblowing policy called Freedom to Speak Up so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about how colleagues or people receiving our services are being treated, or about practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals. Newmedica has two Freedom to Speak Up Guardians and there are Freedom to Speak Up Champions at each service location. If staff wish to raise concerns confidentially this can be done using the Freedom to Speak Up Application on our incident reporting system. Freedom to Speak Up training is mandatory for all Newmedica staff.
In supplying NHS funded services, Newmedica applies the NHS framework which overlays the NHS standard contracts. Newmedica is committed to adhering to the Standards of Business Conduct Code that is complementary to the NHS contracting framework.
Our procurement strategy
Newmedica’s main activity is the delivery of ophthalmology services, and Newmedica enters contractual relationships for the supply of equipment, instruments, consumables, clinical services, goods not for resale and unitary from various suppliers across the globe. Newmedica has main contractor relationships (single tier), and relationships confined to the responsibility of the main contractor (second tier). The Specsavers Group requires all suppliers to be compliant with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 or such other local regulation depending on the jurisdiction of the supplier.
The delivery of the Newmedica procurement strategy includes:
Investing in the Newmedica team to ensure we have the skills to support the procurement strategy.
Drawing on the expertise of subject matter experts in the wider Specsavers Group.
Working with suppliers who are carefully selected through the Specsavers Group’s robust internal supplier selection criteria and process.
Upon award of selection, suppliers enter contracts which reflect and uphold best practice.
Managing risks
We manage and monitor risk for critical areas of spend. These suppliers are subject to monitoring, which enables Newmedica to review and identify any emerging risks in relation to modern slavery and ethical compliance. Any new and emerging risks shall be immediately reported to the Newmedica Board and Newmedica has the right to independently audit the supplier where required. This monitoring is an opportunity to ensure that suppliers remain committed to protecting the rights of all workers across the Newmedica supply chain.
Our plans
Newmedica will continue to apply strengthened contract management to manage any identified risks and where appropriate, work with suppliers if progressive improvement can be agreed. The subject matter experts within Newmedica will work openly and proactively with the suppliers throughout contract lifecycles to resolve issues and amend working practices as required.
During the financial year 2025/2026 Newmedica and the wider Specsavers Group will roll-out a new process for identifying and managing risks in the supply chain which will include:
Training the commercial teams to understand their responsibilities when making purchasing decisions and engaging suppliers.
Clearly communicating our requirements on ethics and treatment of working within our value chain.
Carrying out ethical trade risk assessments on all new and existing suppliers and carrying out independent ethical audits where risk dictates.
During the financial year 2025/2026 Newmedica will rationalise the number of suppliers that the Newmedica Group purchase from and ensure that the Newmedica Group only purchase from, or engage services from, approved suppliers.
Our performance indicators
Newmedica has committed to adhering to the following performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of the above efficiencies:
Any new or emerging risks of modern slavery and ethical compliance are escalated to the Newmedica Board for immediate action.
Completion of Safeguarding training and Freedom to Speak Up training as core induction elements.
Rebecca Lythe
R L Lythe
Managing Director, for and on behalf of New Medical Systems Limited
Dated: 1st April 2025