01
NHS sight test
Free
If you are eligible
- Vision and prescription check
- Eye health check
- Eye pressure test
- Written prescription to keep
OCT scans now included in every enhanced examination
Eye care that looks deeper
Independent optometrists with OCT scanning, a dry eye clinic and myopia control for children, at prices you see before you book.
Independent opticians in Marlowe Bridge since 2011
Start here
Which appointment do I need?
- “I just need my eyes checked”
- “I want the most thorough check there is”
- “It is for my child”
- “My eyes are dry, gritty or watery”
- “Something has changed suddenly”
- “I want contact lenses”
Eye examination
£65
Free with an NHS sight test entitlement
Google reviews
4.9
from 318 patients
Opening hours
- Mon–Fri
- 09:00–17:30
- Sat
- 09:00–16:00
Appointments usually within a week
NHS sight test
Free for most people
Is mine free? Check in thirty seconds
- General Optical Council
- NHS England contract
- Lindberg
- Silhouette
- Ray-Ban
- Oakley
- Tom Ford
- Wolf Eyewear
- Zeiss lenses
- Hoya lenses
Eye examinations
Three ways to have your eyes examined
Same optometrist, same room. The difference is how much we look at, and what the NHS pays for.
02
Enhanced examination
£95
or £30 added to an NHS test
- Everything in the examination
- 3D OCT scan of both eyes
- Retinal photograph on file
- Compared with last year, on screen
- 45 minutes with the optometrist
03
Private examination
£65
- Vision and prescription check
- Eye health check
- Eye pressure test
- Retinal photograph on file
- 30 minutes with the optometrist
The equipment
See what a photograph cannot
Three instruments that see what a photograph or a chart cannot.
The equipment
1
OCT: a 3D scan of the retina
Optical coherence tomography scans the layers of the retina and the optic nerve in seconds, without touching the eye. We compare every scan with your previous ones.
- Glaucoma years before symptoms
- Macular degeneration
- Diabetic changes
- Fluid under the retina
2
Retinal photography
A wide photograph of the back of the eye, kept on file so small changes show up year to year.
- Retinal tears
- Blood vessel changes
- Moles and freckles that need watching
3
Dry eye imaging
Photographs the oil glands in the eyelids and measures how long your tears last, so treatment targets the actual cause.
- Blocked meibomian glands
- Poor tear quality
- Lid inflammation
Images are AI-generated for demonstration. Your site shows real photos of your practice and team.
Symptoms and conditions
Eye conditions, A to Z
What the common ones feel like, how quickly to act, and which appointment sorts it.
01
Cataract
The lens inside the eye clouds with age. Very common after 65 and fully treatable.
Routine
02
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes damages small blood vessels in the retina. Usually silent at first.
Routine
03
Dry eye
Tears evaporate too fast or are too few. Very common with screens and in air-conditioned rooms.
Routine
04
Flashes and a curtain
Can be a retinal tear or detachment. Treatable if caught quickly.
Same day
05
Floaters
Small shapes drifting across your vision. Usually harmless changes in the jelly of the eye.
Within a week
06
Glaucoma
Damage to the optic nerve, usually from raised pressure. No symptoms until late, which is why the scan matters.
Routine
07
Macular degeneration
Wear and tear at the centre of the retina. The wet form needs prompt treatment.
Within a week
08
Red eye
Most red eyes are conjunctivitis or a burst blood vessel. Some are not.
Within a week
09
Short-sight in children
Myopia that increases each year raises the risk of eye disease later. It can be slowed.
Routine
Eye care for children
Children
From age three, without reading, without pressure, and free on the NHS under 16. If short-sight is creeping up each year, we can slow it.
From three years old
Picture matching, no letters needed. Most children manage the whole test in twenty minutes.
Signs to look for
Sitting close to the TV, squinting, head tilting, rubbing eyes, or avoiding reading.
Free under 16
The NHS pays for the sight test and gives a voucher towards glasses. We accept both.
Contact lens plans
Contact lens plans
Daily, part-time
£18
per month
30 daily lenses a month · Annual contact lens check
Daily, full-time
£32
per month
60 daily lenses a month · Annual contact lens check and eye examination
Monthly lenses
£22
per month
Two monthly lenses plus solution · Annual contact lens check
Meet the team
Registered, and here every week
Tom Ashworth
Practice manager
Images are AI-generated for demonstration. Your site shows real photos of your practice and team.
What patients say
4.9 from 318 Google reviewsWhat patients say
“The OCT scan picked up something my previous optician had missed. Explained calmly, referred the same day.”
Sarah L. ·
“My son actually enjoys his eye tests. The myopia control plan has worked, his prescription has barely moved in a year.”
James P. ·
“Prices on the website matched the bill. The dry eye clinic sorted a problem I had put up with for years.”
Anita R. ·
Glasses and lenses
Over 600 frames chosen by our dispensing opticians, lenses made to your prescription, and a two-year guarantee on both..
- Single vision
- from £49
- Varifocal
- from £149
- Office lenses
- from £119
- Photochromic
- from £89
- Thinner lenses
- from £59
Two years on frames and lenses against manufacturing faults, and a 30-day non-tolerance guarantee: if you cannot get on with new lenses, we remake them free.
Common questions
Answers before you ask
Do I need an NHS sight test or a private examination?
If you are eligible for an NHS sight test, book that: it is free and covers the essentials. Add the OCT scan for £30 if you want the enhanced check. If you are not eligible, the private examination is £65.
How often should I have my eyes tested?
Every two years for most adults, every year for children, over-70s, diabetics and anyone with glaucoma in the family.
Can I buy glasses elsewhere with your prescription?
Yes. Your prescription is yours and we give you a copy after every examination.
Do you see eye emergencies?
Yes. Red, painful or suddenly blurred eyes are seen the same day where we can. Phone first.
Request a callback
Prefer a call back?
Leave a name and number. Tom rings back in opening hours, usually the same day, and can tell you whether your test is free before you book.
Tom Ashworth
Practice manager · answers the phone every opening hour
- Phone
- 01632 960500
- Mon–Fri
- 09:00 to 17:30
- Sat
- 09:00 to 16:00