On Mon, 01 Feb 2021 16:10:10 +0000, Peter Parry wrote:

On Mon, 1 Feb 2021 10:24:15 -0000 (UTC), jon wrote:

I seem to be booked for a Home Eye Test from 'Outside Clinic' for the
12th Feb. Had no verbal contact from Optometrists other than just filled
an online form in. They send out flyers that look like an NHS letter.

I am supicious..

They are opticians who specialise only in home visits and are licensed
to carry out NHS domiciliary sight tests (Hence their entitlement to use
the NHS logo on advertisements and correspondence)). The requirements
for registration to do ophthalmic home visits are at


https://www.loc-net.org.uk/media/601...liary-eyecare-
services-march-2018.pdf

and https://www.opticianonline.net/cet-archive/46

https://www.abdo.org.uk/wp-content/u...liary-code-of-
practice-2014.pdf


You only qualify for free home visits if, in addition to a free eye test
entitlement, you are unable to leave home unaccompanied because of
physical or mental illness or disability. If you don't qualify for a
free visit and test 'Outside Clinic will charge you (about £45 I think)
for a home visit.

They were taken over by Optimism Health Group in Nov of last year. No
indication as to whether this is good or bad yet

Quite a few other opticians will also do home visits (Specsavers for
one) however it requires the Optician to invest in some quite expensive
specialised portable equipment so not all offer it.

Someone has to pay for all this and the Outside Clinic business model
relies upon selling a limited range of spectacles at quite high markup.
They don't seem to be particularly aggressive in their sales methods
but remember the person testing you has sales targets to meet or they
won't have a job.

Unless you are pretty strong willed and happy to tell the salesman to go
away I wouldn't have them (or any salesman) in the house. You should
certainly have someone with you if you decide to have them visit.

They have been going for about 25 years or so and seem to have mostly
fairly positive reviews. They also seem to invest in up to date
equipment not just the absolute minimum to satisfy the regulators.
However, there is little doubt that if you can get to a normal optician
you will have probably have access to a greater range of diagnostic
equipment (all the home visit services must have an adequate range of
portable equipment defined by the NHS which they must be able to carry
into the patients home but in recent times many opticians have installed
as standard a wider range of examination kit which you couldn't carry
around).

Your will also have a much wider range of glasses to chose from in a
fixed site optician and probably at significantly lower prices.

As you are entitled to have your prescription given to you after your
eye test if you cant get out you could always get an in home test from
Outside Clinic, take the prescription and send them on their way. Then
go to a decent on-line suppler and get the specs you want much cheaper.

Thanks Peter, excellent info.