NHS Community Optometric Care
The Practice is contracted with both Thurrock Care Commissioning Group and Basildon & Brentwood Care Commissioning Group to provide NHS Community Optometric care for patients referred into the hospital eye service.  This is designed to assess and treat patients within the community setting quickly and efficiently for non-emergency eye referrals.  These referrals are originated from local high-street opticians, GP’s and other health service workers.

We are usually able to offer appointments within a few days and on times convenient to all patients.

The Practice is well equipped and our optometrists are highly skilled to offer these services and use the latest technologies such as Optomap retinal examination and Ocular Coherence Tomography to assess whether hospital treatment is needed or your eye condition can be managed in the community. 

This service is designed to both reduce the capacity issues at both Orsett and Southend Eye Departments as well as providing more time to talk patients through their eye condition and eliminate the unnecessary tedium of waiting all day within a hospital eye department.

If you have been referred for an eye condition by your local optometrist your referral is triaged by the NHS and passed on to us if deemed suitable.  You will receive a telephone call from our reception staff and offered an appointment convenient for you.  If we cannot contact you by telephone then we will send a letter inviting you to contact us to make an appointment.

We would ask you to allow at least 1 hour for your appointment and to bring along a list of any general health medication that you take on a regular basis.

You may have diagnostic eye drops used during your examination and these may make driving difficult.  It would be advisable not to drive to the appointment but if this not possible then bring sunglasses to reduce glare.

At the end of the consultation there will be time to discuss your eye condition with the consulting optometrist and for you to ask any relevant questions.

If you have a questions regarding this service then please contact the Practice by email or telephone.