That my local opticians is not offering routine eye exams?

[Wildswimming3]

Not that important in the scheme of things but my eye exam was due last summer, totally except why i couldnt get an appointment. Its a small town practice and they remained closed. Now however they are open but only for new glasses, contact lenses, repairs. I live in a rural area but could travel to a bigger town. Am I being unfair in being a bit ?

I had a routine eye test on Monday as they'd sent me a couple of reminder letters since November. They are a local optician with a few branches, nothing on the scale of Specsavers or Boots. You could try another optician.

Have you spoken to them? Mine are offering appointments if you think your sight has deteriorated or you have symptoms of poor eye health, or if you are on annual recall for any reason. When booking they will check with an optometrist and ring you back if an appointment is needed.

Ours local independent and high street opticians have been open throughout for emergency appointments and glasses, routine appointments have been taking place since summer here.

3 of us have had ours and got new glasses in that time!

No need for them to be closed at this stage with proper rules in place.

... and, I'm not with them, but both Boots and Vision Express where I live had boards out advertising eye tests when I was in town the other day, so if you are in reasonable distance of one of those, you could try them.

No I havent rung, just read the statement re Covid on their website. I dont think my eyesight has deteriorated but they look for abnomalities in the eye too so it would be good to get a 2 year check (well it would be three years now). Ill try somewhere else

Yes, it's definitely wise to get a 2 year check as eye abnormalities can be invisible.

If you like them as an optician it's worth phoning and asking before going elsewhere. The advantage of staying with the same optician is that they have access to your history - e.g. can compare photos of your eyes with last time to see if there are any changes.

But definitely go elsewhere if they can't give you an appointment.

Specsavers are open. I've been having problems in my left eye for a year or so and didn't go last year due to Covid (although they were open). Went a couple of weeks ago and I have a problem which is easily remediable but I've left it a year. Don't put it off

My ds had an eye test yesterday.
We go to a local independent optician

YANBU. I'm with Vision Express and they've been open for routine eye appointments throughout, I had one in January.

Here’s a mad idea, get an eye test some where else

All the spec savers are open as usual.....staff wear PPE etc.

@Regularsizedrudy

Here’s a mad idea, get an eye test some where else

As I said I will, just better to go where they have your notes etc

Just ring them. Often, smaller businesses don't update their website so it could be old information.

I’m annoyed by this too, my DD’s sight has deteriorated and she started wearing glasses in August. I was able to get her in for an eye test then, but now I want a contact lens fitting for her, and they aren’t doing them. It’s not crucial but I don’t really get why not.

It is better than in lockdown 1 though, when I had several eye problems, & my only option was to travel 1hr by car with my 3 kids to an optician because all the local opticians were closed I wasn’t safe to drive with the issues in my eye.

My children both got new sight tests recently. We use an independent opticians. Call them up.

I'm under the hospital ophthalmology department and supposed to have appointments every six months. They've all been cancelled due to COVID so I haven't had one since 2019.

Ive just rung, theyve very reluctantly given me an appointment, tried to dissuade me if no proplems. All sounds a bit of a palaver, they asked if someone else can drive me as they now dilate the eyes with drops due to not be ing able to use certain instruments because of covid. I said i had nobody who could that, so they then said well can you sit in your car for upto hours if your vision is blurred by the drops! Is this normal for all opticians?

I had an eye test in a Specsavers in January, didn't have to have any eye drops :S I had a vision test as well as an OCT scan. I would have just went somewhere else, they're obviously not that bothered about custom if they're that disinterested.

What age are you?
I dont see why they'd need to use dilating drops instead of doing a standard eye test. Maybe they were trying to dissuade you even more.

They don't sound very helpful, is there an alternative you could go to in the future?

I got my reminder in from specsavers, phoned for an appointment was told only taking appointments if there was a problem or deterioration in eyesight, so what’s the point to sending out a letter asking me to make an appointment just said yes my eyes have deteriorated! No idea if they have, worlds gone mad!

I went to Specsavers during lockdown 2 they've stayed open. I'm in a small dormitory town.

I’m going to find somewhere else I think. I’m 60 and only wear glasses for driving. Plus they don’t do nhs so it’s expensive, there’s a boots about 40 minutes away, I’ll try them

My optician has been doing eye tests (local independent business) and DS had an eye test at Specsavers last month.

If they can't treat their customers like other opticians then they will lose them!

they asked if someone else can drive me as they now dilate the eyes with drops due to not be ing able to use certain instruments because of covid

I was warned about this on my last eye test, but they didn't end up doing it - wasn't even mentioned.

I would have freaked out if the optician had told me I had to have eye drops. I've never had eye drops and I always let them know I have a phobia of eyes (can't even look at a Scotch egg cut in half as it reminds me of eyeballs). I had the glasses and questions, put my chin and forehead against a machine and the hand held pressure puffer (the worst).