Frequently Asked Questions

Eye tests are recommended at least every two years for adults. If you are over 70, or under 16, an eye test is recommended every year.

You're entitled to a free NHS sight test if you:

• are under 16
• are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education (this includes being taught full-time at a school, college, university or at home)
• are 60 or over
• are registered as partially sighted or blind
• have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma
• are 40 or over and your mother, father, sibling or child has been diagnosed with glaucoma
• have been advised by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) that you're at risk of glaucoma
• are a prisoner on leave from prison
• are eligible for an NHS complex lens voucher – your optician can advise you about your entitlement
• are entitled to or named on a valid NHS certificate for full help with health costs (HC2)

You're also entitled if you or your partner – including civil partner – receive, or you're under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:

• Income Support
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Universal Credit and meet the criteria

• History & symptom check – lifestyle, work demands, medical history.
• Pre-tests – auto-refraction, tonometry (eye-pressure), visual-field screening.
• Refraction – the “better 1 or 2?” lens comparison to measure prescription.
• Internal & external eye health checks using ophthalmoscopy or slit-lamp.
• Advice & next steps – prescription explained, eyewear or referral if needed.

The full visit usually takes at least 45 minutes; allow extra time if you’re new or need additional imaging.

Yes, optometrists often spot early signs of diabetes, high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, and even brain tumours by examining retinal blood vessels and optic-nerve appearance. If anything is suspicious you’ll receive a fast-track referral to your GP or hospital eye service.

Community opticians can examine babies from around six months, but most parents first book at age 3–4 so that amblyopia (“lazy eye”) or squint can be treated before school starts. Tests are play-based and don’t rely on letter charts.

Optomap utilises an ultra-widefield scanning laser technology to capture an image of the retina in less than half a second. The device, which is non-invasive and painless, employs a low-powered scanning laser that moves across the retina, capturing an image of your eye that is as detailed as if it were taken under direct observation. Using Optomap, we can examine areas of the retina that were previously inaccessible. It helps us identify signs of diseases like diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, or even non-eye-related diseases such as hypertension and cancer. The comprehensive view offered by Optomap is truly a game-changer in the field of eyecare. Our optometrists advise that all patients should consider Optomap scans.

Optical Coherence Tomography is a painless 3-D scan of the retina and optic-nerve, useful for early detection of glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. OCT is not part of the standard NHS sight-test in England.

Book sooner. NHS rules allow a paid-for or free sight test whenever it is clinically necessary—you don’t have to wait for the automatic two-year interval.

There’s no legal minimum age. Fit is based on eye health and the wearer’s ability (or a parent’s) to handle and clean lenses safely. Babies may be fitted after cataract surgery, while many practices start healthy kids from 7-8 years if they’re responsible.

Only a registered optometrist or contact-lens optician can perform it. Expect a discussion of lifestyle, a corneal health check with a slit-lamp, trial lenses on-eye, teaching for insertion/removal and a follow-up visit before a written prescription is issued.

The practitioner sets the expiry date, usually tied to your next after-care review (often 12–24 months). Lenses cannot legally be supplied once that prescription has expired.

Frequency is set “according to clinical need”. Most daily or monthly soft-lens wearers are seen every 12 months, extended-wear or complex cases sooner.

Only a registered optometrist or contact-lens optician can perform it. Expect a discussion of lifestyle, a corneal health check with a slit-lamp, trial lenses on-eye, teaching for insertion/removal and a follow-up visit before a written specification is issued.