A common question — and an important one. Think of it this way: your GP is a general practitioner, and an optometrist is an eye practitioner. If it’s about your eyes, you’ll usually be best starting with us.

Why see an optometrist first?

We often see people who’ve gone to their GP with an eye concern, only to be referred on to us anyway. There’s an (unfortunate) misconception that optometrists are all about glasses. While helping you find the right prescription is part of what we do, it’s usually only about 20–30% of your appointment.

The rest of the time is focused on the health of your eyes — checking what’s happening now, picking up early signs of problems, and making sure your vision is supported long-term.

When to see whom?

Here’s a simple guide:

Red eye: Optometrist
Something in your eye: Optometrist
Tired or achy eyes: Optometrist
Black spots or floaters in your vision: Optometrist
Dry / itchy / burning / teary eyes: Optometrist
Anything to do with your eyes: Optometrist

What we can do for you

It’s not that your GP doesn’t know about eyes — they do. But optometrists are specialised in eye health, and we have:

Advanced equipment to assess what’s going on accurately
Training to diagnose and manage eye conditions early
Qualifications to prescribe appropriate medications (usually eye drops) when needed — meaning you don’t have to visit your GP just to get a prescription
The ability to refer directly to an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) if that’s required

Our aim is to manage things correctly from the start, so you get the right care and the best results sooner.

If you’ve got an eye problem, bring it to us first. You can book online or phone the practice to make an appointment.