Advanced Eye Care
Background:
For generations, the Turner Family have taken the time necessary to care for the eye health & vision of each of you, our patients.
Each year that goes by we strive to get better at doing this - for your benefit. We enjoy the time and effort that this requires, to hone our skills and purchase (without NHS support) the sophisticated equipment needed, to deliver thorough eye care to our patients.
Don’t the NHS pay you?
The NHS sight test fee had been frozen for 6 years, and in the years before it increased at a far lower rate than inflation. During this time, despite rising costs, we maintained a high quality of care for our patients. A sight test with us remained 30 minutes long, despite the NHS only funding 6-7 minutes of the care you received.
What’s changed?
As we set out to survive the pandemic it became clear that we could no longer work without a sustainable NHS fee to cover the cost of the thorough eye care we provide.
How did we make our decision?
We had several (socially distanced of course) meetings, to try and find a sustainable way forward. After a long, thoughtful, and often emotional process, which included heart wrenching decisions, we emerged from lockdown as a practice offering reassuringly thorough eye care to the whole family, for the first time in 70 years, outside of the NHS.
People have asked what our founder, Grandfather Harold, would think.
Harold started work as an Ophthalmic Optician many years before the NHS was founded. Back then, if health care professionals didn’t ask a fair fee for their time, their families went hungry. He believed in quality care at an affordable price. We hold those values dear to this day.
Do Opticians legally have to provide NHS sight testing?
No, we are a self funding practice that had a contract with the NHS. What you probably didn’t know is that they didn’t always pay us for seeing patients. Particularly if the NHS decided that they didn’t think the patient needed a sight test. We made a loss all too often.
Why have we changed?
We haven’t changed, it’s the NHS funding that has not kept up to date with the eye care we provide. Our vision is simple; reassuringly thorough eye care for every patient, for life.
What does this look like?
A low cost monthly Direct Debit plan, at just £6 per month, which gives you Vision Plan membership. Full details are here
Membership benefits include:
How can I join?
Telephone or book to come and see us, and we will set up your vision plan membership.
What about my family?
Children are welcome too. Just as we care for our own children, we’d like yours to benefit from Advanced Eye Care too.
For one child it’s just £4 per month, for two or more children in a household it’s £6 for all. We also include a pair of single vision lenses (worth £25) for each child who needs them.
If I see you for eye care, can I still get an NHS optical voucher towards the cost of my glasses?
As we don’t provide NHS sight testing, we cannot issue an NHS optical voucher. Other opticians cannot issue an NHS optical voucher to our prescription either - these are NHS regulations not ours.
What if I can’t afford £6 per month?
This has not been an easy decision for us. For many years The Turner family have subsidised the true cost of thorough eye care for their NHS patients. The pandemic was the final straw and left us unable to carry on under a grossly underfunded NHS sight testing system.
How do I find an optician who will give me an NHS sight test?
Perhaps ask friends & family?
I wear contact lenses, what about me?
Our Vision Plan Plus is designed with you in mind. It’s just £9 per month to provide the benefits of the Vision Plan, plus contact lens care too. If you like you can also add your contact lenses to your Direct Debit - as many of our patients have done for years. Just ask us for a quote.
What if I don’t want to set up a Direct Debit?
If you would prefer to pay for your consultations each time you attend, that’s absolutely fine. It’s £85 for each Eye Care or Contact Lens Care appointment.
I have a different question, can you help?
If you have any questions we’ve not covered please drop us a note here:
[email protected]
Thank you for your trust and support throughout this difficult period, making this change now allows us to continue providing you and your family with reassuringly thorough eye care for many years to come.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Warm regards
Peter Turner
For generations, the Turner Family have taken the time necessary to care for the eye health & vision of each of you, our patients.
Each year that goes by we strive to get better at doing this - for your benefit. We enjoy the time and effort that this requires, to hone our skills and purchase (without NHS support) the sophisticated equipment needed, to deliver thorough eye care to our patients.
Don’t the NHS pay you?
The NHS sight test fee had been frozen for 6 years, and in the years before it increased at a far lower rate than inflation. During this time, despite rising costs, we maintained a high quality of care for our patients. A sight test with us remained 30 minutes long, despite the NHS only funding 6-7 minutes of the care you received.
What’s changed?
As we set out to survive the pandemic it became clear that we could no longer work without a sustainable NHS fee to cover the cost of the thorough eye care we provide.
How did we make our decision?
We had several (socially distanced of course) meetings, to try and find a sustainable way forward. After a long, thoughtful, and often emotional process, which included heart wrenching decisions, we emerged from lockdown as a practice offering reassuringly thorough eye care to the whole family, for the first time in 70 years, outside of the NHS.
People have asked what our founder, Grandfather Harold, would think.
Harold started work as an Ophthalmic Optician many years before the NHS was founded. Back then, if health care professionals didn’t ask a fair fee for their time, their families went hungry. He believed in quality care at an affordable price. We hold those values dear to this day.
Do Opticians legally have to provide NHS sight testing?
No, we are a self funding practice that had a contract with the NHS. What you probably didn’t know is that they didn’t always pay us for seeing patients. Particularly if the NHS decided that they didn’t think the patient needed a sight test. We made a loss all too often.
Why have we changed?
We haven’t changed, it’s the NHS funding that has not kept up to date with the eye care we provide. Our vision is simple; reassuringly thorough eye care for every patient, for life.
What does this look like?
A low cost monthly Direct Debit plan, at just £6 per month, which gives you Vision Plan membership. Full details are here
Membership benefits include:
- Thorough routine eyecare
- Sophisticated eye imaging scans
- Glasses discount
- Accidental damage cover for your new glasses
- Additional eye care appointments as you need them
How can I join?
Telephone or book to come and see us, and we will set up your vision plan membership.
What about my family?
Children are welcome too. Just as we care for our own children, we’d like yours to benefit from Advanced Eye Care too.
For one child it’s just £4 per month, for two or more children in a household it’s £6 for all. We also include a pair of single vision lenses (worth £25) for each child who needs them.
If I see you for eye care, can I still get an NHS optical voucher towards the cost of my glasses?
As we don’t provide NHS sight testing, we cannot issue an NHS optical voucher. Other opticians cannot issue an NHS optical voucher to our prescription either - these are NHS regulations not ours.
What if I can’t afford £6 per month?
This has not been an easy decision for us. For many years The Turner family have subsidised the true cost of thorough eye care for their NHS patients. The pandemic was the final straw and left us unable to carry on under a grossly underfunded NHS sight testing system.
How do I find an optician who will give me an NHS sight test?
Perhaps ask friends & family?
I wear contact lenses, what about me?
Our Vision Plan Plus is designed with you in mind. It’s just £9 per month to provide the benefits of the Vision Plan, plus contact lens care too. If you like you can also add your contact lenses to your Direct Debit - as many of our patients have done for years. Just ask us for a quote.
What if I don’t want to set up a Direct Debit?
If you would prefer to pay for your consultations each time you attend, that’s absolutely fine. It’s £85 for each Eye Care or Contact Lens Care appointment.
I have a different question, can you help?
If you have any questions we’ve not covered please drop us a note here:
[email protected]
Thank you for your trust and support throughout this difficult period, making this change now allows us to continue providing you and your family with reassuringly thorough eye care for many years to come.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Warm regards
Peter Turner