Article first published in the: Beacon Advertiser, IMag and Ermington Parish Magazine . . .

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For some readers, the notion of booking an appointment at their local Optician is simply a means of obtaining an up-to-date prescription, so they can order the latest trend in glasses. Conversely, for others there’s a misguided assumption that such an appointment means they’ll be obligated to buy new glasses, even if they don’t want them or cannot afford to do so. Result? they avoid visiting an Optician altogether!

 

Once upon a time, all Opticians were viewed as medical professionals, providing an invaluable healthcare service to the local community. Then came the retail giants where selling glasses and meeting targets seemed to matter more than healthcare. In recent years, this narrative has become supercharged with adverts and social media posts awash with offers and deals to entice you in for an appointment to get a new prescription so you’ll then purchase new glasses from them. 

 

So, what happened to the healthcare side of visiting an Optician? In truth, it never really went away, it just got squeezed as appointment times got shorter. After all, shorter appointments mean more appointments and more appointments mean more opportunities to sell glasses, right? 

 

And now we have glasses from the internet. No need to leave the comfort of you armchair, simply swipe through the pretty pictures and select a frame, just like you would if buying a new top. Enter all those confusing numbers from your prescription and don’t worry too much if it’s way out-of-date; no one at the other end really cares! Hey-presto! a few days later a new pair of glasses arrive in the post. 

Oh and if you can’t see through them or the frame doesn’t fit, the online retailer will likely suggest you to go and visit your local Optician to sort it out! Except they will probably decline to do so as they didn’t supply them, which after all, seems quite reasonable really.

 

At this point, the author suspects you’re thinking this all sounds a little bitter! After all, many of big retailers do a pretty good job when it comes to providing glasses, so is it a case of bitterness or is it . . . confusion?

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Despite incredible advancements in diagnostic technology like Optical CT Scans, in the understanding of sight threatening eye diseases, in dry eye treatments and in new technologies like Myopia Control, Colorimetry and Orthokeratology, the author is genuinely confused as to why so many people still chose to side-step most of the healthcare aspects for a brief sight test, despite a general understanding of just how vital good vision and long-term ocular health is.

 

If all of this or, even some of this rings true with the reader, then you’ll be pleased to know - there is an alternative . . .
As the bigger Optical chains become more retail orientated, so a growing number of smaller independent Opticians are becoming more healthcare oriented; extending the length of their appointments so there’s more time to investigate, diagnose and discuss your results, investing in new treatments and eyecare services and, generally slowing things down so that you can enjoy a more relaxed unrushed experience, rather than it feeling like a trip to the cattle market.

 

So, what should you expect when you choose to visit your local independent Optician? Firstly, expect to be centre of their attention, expect to be asked lots of questions and offered lots of advice. Expect a longer, far more thorough Eye Examination. Expect to be shown your Optical CT scan results, your retinal photographs, field-of-vision results and dry eye assessments. Expect to have these results fully explained and expect to receive tailored advice and guidance. Naturally you’ll probably be asked to pay a little extra, but ask yourself this - what price would you put on your eyesight?

 

And despite being given a new prescription, it’s highly likely that any recommendation to consider new glasses will only be made if your visual acuity results suggest you’ll actually be able to see more clearly with them. Maybe it’s finally time to give the cattle market a miss and discover a local independent Optician who really cares about your vision . . .