Dealing with minor eye conditions

14th August 2019

Stockport dental technician Richard Want knows that his local NHS really does have the vision to give him the care he needs.

Richard, who runs his own business in Hazel Grove, suddenly had a series of “floaters” in his right eye interfering with his vision and the problem got progressively worse overnight

Worried, Richard got an emergency morning appointment with his family doctor who handed him a list of optometrists who could help him.

Forty minutes later he was he was at a local opticians having his eye problem diagnosed and dealt with by an expert in eye care.

Said 57 year old Richard “To be honest it was a pretty amazing service. I was quite worried about what was wrong with my eyesight so to have your fears allayed so quickly was a real relief.

“It was so straightforward and professional. I rang the first opticians on the list, given to me by my doctor, and the person I spoke to did the rest.

“They rang around to find the best fit for my symptoms and then rang me back, within five minutes, with an appointment. I think we’re very lucky to have this service in Stockport.”

Stockport’s Minor Eye Conditions Service is a free service for anyone, including children, registered with a Stockport GP.

If you have a recent problem with your eyes or vision, rather than see the GP or go to accident and emergency, you can contact one of the opticians offering the service.

If you have a mildly irritated sticky eye or hay fever your pharmacy can usually treat this without an appointment.

You can get a list of the opticians involved from your GP practice or go online at gmpec.co.uk and just put your postcode (with a space) in the ‘Find a Practice’ search engine.

You’ll be asked a few questions about your symptoms so they can decide how quickly you need to be seen, which will be within 24 hours in urgent cases and within a few days for routine problems. In most cases you will be treated within the service including a prescription for medication or follow up if required

If your condition is more serious, the optometrist will book you an urgent appointment at a hospital eye clinic. If you need a routine appointment with a hospital, the optometrist will organise this for you.

You may also be advised to make an appointment with your GP if your eye condition is related to your general health.