Eye Examinations for Adults
We offer both private and NHS eye examinations. Every eye examination starts with a discussion about your eye health in general and if you have any specific concerns. If you are a new patient, we will take a detailed history of your general health and eye health to date so that we get a clear picture of your needs. We check your vision by asking you to read down the letter chart – or there’s a picture chart for children. We will use this, as well as other detailed tests, to assess your accurate prescription. Part of the examination will test your binocular function – how well your eyes work together.
We also check your eye health. We look at the front of your eye with a specialist microscope and inspect your retina with a specialist torch to check for any problems. We offer a complete retina check with Optical Coherence Tomography (click to read more) this is included in all private examinations and optional for NHS patients; your optometrist will advise if it is advisable for you to have an OCT scan. We will usually check the pressure inside your eye with an air puff, this is a screening test for glaucoma and will depend on your age and family history.
If your tests indicate that your vision needs some correction, we will talk to you about the options available – contact lenses or glasses – and can then pass you on to our dispensing opticians to look at the best options for your specific needs.
Eye Examinations for Children
Eye examinations are FREE for children up to the age of 16 (19 if in full-time education). When your child comes in for an examination, we simply fill out an NHS form for you to sign. If your child needs glasses, they are entitled to free lenses.
We recommend that children get their first full eye examination at around the age of three and at yearly intervals after that unless there is any family history of squints or lazy eyes..
We are aware that eye examinations can be trying for small children, so we are used to making our exams particularly child-friendly. For pre-readers, we use a picture-based vision chart, and we are therefore able to examine children of any age.
We always make the eye examination fun for children and our optometrist are used to examining children of all ages!
NHS Sight Tests
You are entitled to a free standard sight test, paid for by the NHS, if:
- You are under 16 (or under 19 and in full-time education)
- You are 60 or over
- You have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma
- You are 40 or over, and your mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter has been diagnosed with glaucoma
- An ophthalmologist (eye doctor) has advised you that you’re at risk of glaucoma
- You are registered as blind or partially sighted
- You are prescribed complex lenses – these are lenses with a power of 10 dioptres or more, or prism controlled bifocal lenses
- Your sight tests are usually done through a hospital eye department, as part of your care for an existing eye condition
- You are a war pensioner and you need the sight test because of a disability for which you get a war pension
You are entitled to full help with health costs, including sight tests, if you or your partner receive:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
You can also get a free NHS sight test if you’re entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate. If you’re eligible for help with NHS costs under the NHS Low Income Scheme, you can claim some or all of the cost of sight tests for you, your partner and your children.