Local Optician Services Helping Patients Avoid Hospital Visits: Jordan's Story

When 33‑year‑old Jordan from Cwmbran first began experiencing eye problems in his early thirties, he didn’t realise that the quickest route to help wasn’t the GP surgery, it was his local optician.

“I was going back and forth to the doctors every two to three weeks,” he explained. “I didn’t realise the opticians was where I needed to go for help.”

A few years later, Jordan was diagnosed with Episcleritis, a lifelong inflammatory eye condition that can suddenly flare up when he is tired or stressed. Symptoms include painful, gritty eyes, sensitivity to light, and, if untreated, swelling serious enough to force his eyes closed.

“At the time, whenever I had a flare up, I used to go to an optometrist who would then refer me to the eye clinic at the Gwent,” he said. “Sometimes this delayed me getting treatment for a few days, and it was really stressful. My symptoms would get worse, I’d struggle to sleep, and sometimes I had to take time off work.”

Everything changed during one particularly flare up. Out of desperation, Jordan searched online for a “prescribing optometrist” and discovered a local Newport practice that offered the service he needed.

“They were only a ten‑minute drive from work, so easy to get to. I’ve been with them now for two years,” he said.

The prescribing optometrist at the practice, is able to assess Jordan’s condition and issue the prescriptions he needs for treatment, removing the need for hospital visits.

“It’s made such a difference. The team really care, they’ve got to know me and they understand my condition. It just makes everything so much easier.”

Jordan described a recent flare up just two days before Christmas, a moment he feared would leave him struggling through the holiday period.

“I rang the optician and the receptionist called me back in under a minute after speaking to the prescribing optometrist. She wasn’t even supposed to be in work that day, but she gave me an appointment. The care and customer service you get in a local practice is amazing.”

He now has regular check‑ups, ongoing treatment discussions, and coordinated care between the optician and his GP practice.

“They’ve been a breath of fresh air,” he said. “Being able to get treated quickly, close to home, has changed everything.”