Consultations & Referrals in Hackney
Independent advice on your eyes at our Well Street practice in Hackney, and a referral into hospital care when you need one, including urgent referrals when something cannot wait.
Some things we find need someone else. An optometrist is the first point of contact for most eye problems, and part of the job is knowing what we can manage here and what belongs in a hospital eye department.
When you might want a consultation
Come and talk to us if something has changed and you are not sure whether it matters. New floaters, a shadow at the edge of your vision, flashes of light, double vision, persistent redness, or a gradual blur that will not resolve: any of these are worth a look. So is a diagnosis you have been given elsewhere and want explained properly.
We would rather see you for something that turns out to be nothing than have you sit at home wondering.
How a referral works
If you need hospital care, we write the referral. We describe what we found, what we measured, and why we think you should be seen, so the department has real clinical detail rather than a bare request. Where it is urgent we route it accordingly and it is treated differently at the other end.
We will explain what we are referring you for, what will likely happen at the appointment, and what the timescale looks like. If you would rather go privately, we can refer you that way too, and we will tell you honestly when the NHS route is the right one.
Working with your GP
The eyes are part of the rest of you. Conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure show up on the retina, and sometimes what we see in an eye test is worth your GP knowing about. Where that is the case we will say so, and write to them if you are happy for us to.
Being independent matters here
We are a small independent practice, not part of a chain, and there is no commercial pressure behind what we tell you. If your eyes are healthy and your glasses are fine, that is what you will hear. If we think you need a second opinion from someone with a subspecialty we do not have, we will say that too.
Booking
We have two practices in Hackney: 204 Well Street, near Hackney Central, and 62a Brooksby's Walk in Homerton. If you are worried about something specific, call whichever is nearer and tell us what is going on. It helps us judge how quickly you need to be seen.
