Ground Breaking New Eye Care Service for Kilmarnock Patients

Patients at Kilmarnock’s Urquhart Opticians can now opt for a significantly enhanced eye examination thanks to a major investment in new ground-breaking technology.Optical Coherence Tomography – or OCT – scanning is now available at Urquhart Opticians on the town’s Portland Road. The OCT scanner uses light rather than sound to illustrate the eye, building up a three-dimensional image of the retina and optic nerve. This enables optometrists to identify potential problems at a far earlier stage in a painless non-intrusive manner.The five-figure investment in OCT is the latest in a series of innovations by the independent Kilmarnock-based group. Founded in 1916, in recent years Urquhart’s customer-focused approach has earned awards and accolades, and the new scanner now makes Urquhart Opticians one of the few providers of OCT in the west of Scotland outwith hospital clinics.The OCT Scanner will be available at Urquhart’s flagship Kilmarnock practice where patients will now have the option to upgrade their basic NHS eye test to a new OCT Premium Eye Test. A fee of £25 will apply, which the team at Urquhart’s are keen to stress is a relatively small personal investment in long term eye health and vision. Alistair Duff, Optometrist and Director of Urquhart Opticians, explains: “Urquhart Opticians will continue to offer excellent basic NHS eye tests. However, we are thrilled to now also be able to offer our patients this optional enhanced service, with45 minute consultations and a detailed 3D OCT examination."“This is ground-breaking technology which will greatly enhance our ability to care for the vision and long-term eyecare of our patients across Ayrshire. OCT is transformative and represents the next generation of eyecare with a test that is quick, comfortable and non-invasive - and which, most importantly, allows for earlier identification of existing and potential eye and vision problems.“ Urquhart Opticians will be offering new Premium Eye Examinations from 1st July 2017. To book or find out more go to www.urquhart-opticians.co.uk.