Enter and view: Lambeth Opticians
Download (PDF 947.36 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Lambeth gather information on people’s experiences of health and social care services and there are times when it is appropriate for Healthwatch Lambeth to see and hear for themselves how services are being delivered: these visits are called ‘Enter and View’, they are not inspections.
Healthwatch Lambeth visited Boots Opticians (Clapham), Clear Vision, Medirex Opticians (Wilcox Close), Opticalise, Real Eyes (Streatham), R Woodfall, Specsavers Opticians (Brixton), Tesco Opticians (Streatham) between on May and June 2017.
The summary of findings highlighted areas in relation to patient feedback, staff feedback and observation. Healthwatch Lambeth found that on the whole, their visiting teams found these opticians easy to use, with staff demonstrating a professional approach to customer care. However, their feeling is that staff teams could benefit from training opportunities to increase their confidence and communication skills around learning disabilities, such as the Local Optical Committee Support Unit’s online learning disabilities distance learning course, perhaps. As reflected in their recommendations, appropriate instore written information appears to be a key area for improvement, particularly regarding: costs for eye tests and glasses, eye test results, complaints procedures and easy read information on eye health. They would encourage individual providers to review and improve their own customer information resources and make use of suitable tailored easy read materials as they become available.
Healthwatch Lambeth recommend that all opticians should have clear information about eye test charges on display at reception. All practices should develop procedures to ensure they ask or check with customers whether they have any communication needs, record those needs and act on them, in line with the Accessible Information Standard. Optometrists should make use of easy read materials for customers with learning disabilities. Practices should ensure that information about the complaints process is clearly displayed and copies are available to take away. They should also review their policy to ensure it includes the pathway for NHS customers.