SPECSAVERS eye care

Specsavers picked up a problem I had, the hospital had missed
The young man really went the extra mile too.
I was more than impressed with the care and support I received … they certainly have the latest equipment it seems too…

Skimming through this I found no mention of opticians other than Specsavers and Boots. Have they all disapeared?

I've been attending a hospital eye clinic for over 30 years, and wearing glasses for 70 years. I have had 2 cataract ops, plus laser surgery, with more of the latter pending, and been using drops for ages too, . From one lot of drops once a day I've gone to 2 lots of drops - the latter having to be used 3 times a day

So I have a lot of experience with opticians!! I know for sure that the Boots chain have the machine someone mentioned too - can't remember its name, but I think all opticians should have one by now. It's sort of like an eye Xray !

The problem with these chains is that it's not the name that counts, but the quality of the opticians they employ. For years I went to an independent optician recommended to me , who was great. Sadly he died, and I went to another independent optician recommended by another friend and he was good, but his prices kept getting higher and higher with no real justification that I could see.

So I ended up at one of these chains (SS) and got a really poor deal - had to go back 3 times before my new specs were reasonably OK. If I'd seen someone else in the practice maybe it would have been a different story.

I would strongly suggest that you ask friends for recommendations of a specific optician whether they're from a chain, or independent.

I have extremely dry eyes at the moment, confirmed during my check up at Specsavers.
They referred me to a local clinic in my area, which set up to ease the pressure from the local hospital.
I had a call the following week to make an appt, which was a week after that. Went along and drops and ointment prescribed after further tests.
Couldn't fault the service

I had a problem with my eye and phoned for a doctors appointment. The date of this was over a month away. I phoned Specsavers where I always get my glasses. An ophthalmologist emailed me immediately and asked me to email him a photo. He then replied saying I could just come straight in and he would see me. This I did and was also looked at by a senior colleague. Photos were taken and these was attached to a referral that Specsavers made to the hospital there and then. I was asked to come back if there was a change, which I did a week or so later. More photos for comparison with the first were sent to the hospital. The hospital appointment came through within 7/10days and that appointment was ahead of what would have been the appointment with the GP. The service and attention I was given by my local Specsavers was exemplary.

Specsavers completely messed up on my routine eye examination. They didn’t see that I had cataracts and gave me completely the wrong prescription
It’s a really good job I realised my glasses were wrong and went to another opticians! And was referred for cataract surgery
You get what you pay for in this life

I had a problem with my sight a few years ago and couldn’t get a Drs appointment so popped into to my local boots opticians who I’ve been using for years and Susan my optician examined my eyes and gave me letter with instructions to go to the ophthalmic hospital, I was seen quickly and so thankful I went as there was a serious problem with one eye. I’ll be forever in debt to Susan. Another poster asked if individual opticians still exist there is one in our small town but he doesn’t have the equipment to photograph the back of your eye and he referred my husband to go to boots opticians

Often the more "advanced" tests are extras.

Maybe not if referred via a GP?

karmalady

My specsavers eye care has been exemplary. The most thorough eye care ever and definitely no hard sell

I would second that. That's been my experience with them too. They were very good with my husband too - when he explained he'd just been put on blood pressure tablets, the optician said there was no point in him getting new glasses right away, as the tablets could have an effect on his eyesight and he'd be better to leave it for a few months to see how things settled down.

I used to go to Boots for yearly examinations but last year when I had problems with flashing behind my eye I couldn't get an appointment at Boots for someone to check it. When I insisted on seeing someone the supervisor came out and basically told me to go to SpecSavers or the eye A&E 30 miles away.

SpecSavers gave me an appointment an hour later and did a thorough examination, and talked me through the results really well. There was nothing they could do but at least when they had finished I was happy I knew what I was going on and felt like they had done their job well.

I'll be going back there for my next yearly eye test.

I cannot rate our local Spec Savers highly enough! They picked up my DH’s Age Related Macular Degeneration and wrote to our local hospital for treatment. I always pay the extra £10 for their ‘deeper’ test. The hospital told DH that Spec savers equipment is superior to that of some hospitals! Also had a hearing test with them.. again excellent! Far better than Boots in my opinion.

Am loving the two tier system now.. I am poor , dont get any help. struggling to survive each day as covid has decimated my health already and working is sporadic at best ( part-time very low paid zero hrs no sick pay..) My eyesight is steadily getting worse, headaches often and dizziness, and more than half my teeth have crumbled, I wish they'd just fallen out as the broken stubs left in the gumline are causing lots of pain. Cannot get a GP appointment, can no longer afford to keep calling to try ( 30 a week in mobile charges for being on hold got too expensive for me) and the NHS helpline and hospital both say go see optician/dentist, they cannot help me. I truly believe "they" just want the sick poor folk to simply disappear. I am hanging on to get my son to adulthood, best I can and praying the world is a better place for all our kids. OP if you get free opticians, or can afford the fees, do go, they are truly fabulous today with what they can detect, and indeed I would trust their expertise more than a gp ( no offence to gps here)

More praise for Specsavers! - they picked up that I had a macular hole in the back of my eye at a routine eye test. I wasn't aware of any symptoms either. I needed an op to repair it and now it's all fine!

I went to specsavers and they arranged cataract operations direct with private hospital via nhs. Excellent and quick.

I always go to an independant optician. More personal service.

I used specsavers for years then moved so had to change my branch. At the new branch 2 years ago I was doing the test that requests you to use a clicker when you see a light. I did. The person conducting the test asked me if I was trying ( I can be, very trying ha ha) I said I was, she stopped the test and spoke to the optician. He asked me to retake the test, I did with the same results. I then heard a conversation between the person who took the test and a colleague. I complained about the attitude and unprofessional manner and left. Made an appointment at boots and took the same test, boots referred me to hospital where I was diagnosed with narrow angles. Specsavers will not be visited by me again.

I believe that Specsavers shops are franchises, so there’s no guarantee that the service will be the same everywhere.
Other opticians are available!!
We go to our local village practice, where the optician knows every customer by their first name (and it’s free to park!). He’s not cheap, but he stocks designer frames which are made in Europe, not China. They feel much more substantial than the Specsavers ones I’ve had in the past. I must admit that before I reached 60 I shopped around for free tests, but now that’s not an issue. Since I wear glasses every single day I don’t mind the cost.

Hello,
I would suggest you go back to your optician to see if there are any changes or anything significant that needs following up quickly. Was it the optician that referred you to the eye clinic? I wonder if they could follow up with this unacceptable delay, as it sounds like they don’t have any record of it. The other thing you could do is speak to PALS within the hospital who will follow up with any complaints on your behalf. Hope it all goes well and gets sorted out for you.

I had an eye op over 18 months ago. I was told they would send for me to have it done. I had 7 cancellations. Then few weeks ago started to get pressured by them to attend an appointment. Told I had waited longer than 52 weeks and they had targets. I saw a consultant and he told me they would operate. However, he checked my eye as there’s a problem and said I needed to see a Retina consultant as it wasn’t his field. I then got an appointment with regard to my Retina. I attended the hospital only to find no record of my appointment. There was a bit of a flap and told that I would be seen and to wait. I was then told to see the consultant only to find it was the same one I had seen the week before. He was extremely apologetic and said it was all due to a backlog. Meantime I’m having my op next week but don’t know when I will see the Retina consultant. Hope you manage to get it sorted.

I've gone to Specsavers for years and found them excellent. In fact I had an appt yesterday, I'd only rung up for an appt the day before. Thorough check up, no rush, time to ask questions. I have every confidence in them. I think they do NHS audiology sometimes.

I don't know if it's possible to go to both Specsavers AND Boots for an Eye-Test, for Free - in the same 'time-frame' . Just for yourself to compare the test(s) at the one with the other. JUST to compare like with like & then stick with favourite .
(You might have to to pay for that 2nd one)- but you know you're going to the one of your choice.

We have a very good independent optician in our village, so we usually go to them.
I may be the only one here who thinks Specsavers are absolute rubbish, but I wouldn't trust them at all!
If you have Costco membership, their optical department is wonderful!

JamesandJon33

I have just been reading the thread on Audiology at SPECSAVERS.
I have a problem with one eye , though no diagnoses yet. My local hospital Eye clinic , at y last appointment asked to see me in four months time. This is now over. When I rang to inquire about an appointment, I am not even on the list. The doctor suggested I went to an optician. Has anyone encountered this?. I know the hospital waiting lists are long, but this seems a bit cavalier.

Are we talking eye care or hearing problems. Audiology is for hearing and not eye care.

I had to return a pair of varifocal glasses to Specsavers three times as they weren’t right and received a full refund. Had another tests at Asda and I’ve been with them for the last five or six years.

I've been going to our local independent optician for many years now and wouldn't go anywhere else. They have written referrals , notes to my doctor, sent me for cataract ops, and laser treatment.They have all the up to date machinery found in specsavers and when it comes to having new glasses are very happy for me to have the new lenses put in the old frames.They are also very happy to give special bargains.