Opticians in the UK

Finding a good optician in the UK

An optician is really two professions in one shop. The optometrist tests your sight, prescribes glasses and contact lenses, and examines the health of your eyes — checking for glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and the signs of diabetes and high blood pressure that show in the retina before anywhere else. The dispensing optician fits and supplies the glasses, choosing lenses and frames that suit the prescription and your face. Both are registered with the General Optical Council, and every practice on the high street is an NHS provider for eye tests.

Independent opticians and the national chains do the same test; the difference is time and continuity. An independent typically books longer appointments, sees you with the same optometrist each time, has more equipment for eye health such as OCT retinal scanning, and stocks frames the chains do not; the chains compete on offers and price. NHS sight tests are free for children, over-60s, people with diabetes or glaucoma and their close relatives, and those on certain benefits; everyone else pays £20 to £40 for a private test, often with an OCT scan as an optional extra.

Glasses prices vary enormously by frame and lens, and the lenses are where the money goes: thinner lenses, varifocals, coatings and photochromics add up, and an honest optician explains what you need and what you do not. The listings here show each optician's reviews, services, opening hours and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who is independent, who offers NHS tests and contact lenses, and whose patients have stayed with them for years.

What opticians do

Eye tests: a full sight test and eye health examination every one to two years, with a prescription you are entitled to take anywhere, and OCT retinal scanning at many practices.

Glasses: frames from budget to designer, single-vision, bifocal and varifocal lenses, thinner lenses for strong prescriptions, coatings and sun tints, and adjustments and repairs.

Contact lenses: fitting and aftercare for dailies, monthlies, toric and multifocal lenses, with a check-up every year.

Eye health: monitoring glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic eyes, dry-eye clinics, and referral to the hospital eye service when needed; many now run minor eye condition (MECS/CUES) services on the NHS.

Children and special needs: children's tests and glasses on NHS vouchers, myopia control lenses, and low-vision aids for those with reduced sight.

Before you book an eye test

• Check whether you qualify for a free NHS sight test — under 16, under 19 in full-time education, over 60, diabetic, glaucoma or a close relative of someone with it, or on qualifying benefits.
• Bring your current glasses or lenses, a list of medications, and any family history of eye conditions.
• Ask how long the appointment is and whether OCT scanning is available and what it costs.
• You can take your prescription anywhere; ask for a copy at the end, which the optician must give you.
• For contact lenses, ask about a trial and the aftercare scheme's cost.
• Sudden loss of vision, flashes and floaters, or eye pain need same-day attention: ring the optician or go to an eye casualty.

What eye tests and glasses cost in the UK

As a rough guide, a private sight test costs £20 to £40, an OCT scan £10 to £30 extra, and a contact lens check £25 to £50. Glasses run from £50 to £100 for a basic frame with single-vision lenses at a chain to £150 to £400 for a good independent frame with quality lenses, and £250 to £600 with varifocals; thinner lenses, coatings and designer frames push it higher. Contact lenses cost £15 to £60 a month on a scheme that includes aftercare. NHS optical vouchers help with glasses for children and those on benefits.

Ask what each lens option does for you and skip the ones that do not; a good optician will tell you when the standard lens is fine. The test is the part not to skimp on.