MR ALEX BANEKE - OPHTHALMIC SURGEON - GLAUCOMA & CATARACT
A Guide for Patients
Eye care services in Essex
There is an excellent range of eye-care services accessible to people residing in and around Essex, ranging from NHS or private hospital care, to high street opticians.
This page summarises some of the services available.
Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLOs)
ECLOs have lots of knowledge on eye conditions and on helpful local and national services. They provide emotional and practical support to anyone affected by sight loss, free of charge. They can advise on living with sight loss, management and treatment of eye conditions, visual aids, equipment and technology, availability of benefits and concessions, education and employment, certification and registration and other support and services that might be appropriate.
By offering dedicated individual care, ECLOs can talk to you about your worries and give you advice on how to lessen the impact your eye condition may have on your life.
ECLOs act as an important bridge between health and social services and are central to the support and wellbeing of patients in eye clinics. They also help prevent avoidable sight loss, by talking through treatment and helping people to understand their medication if necessary.
​
The Southend ECLO is Tracey Meddle, who is employed by Southend-in-Sight, a local sight loss charity.
Email: tracey@southendinsight.co.uk
Tel: 01702 342131
The Orsett/Basildon ECLO is Sarah Jane Piper, who is employed by the charity BASIS.
Email: Sarah-jane.piper@nhs.net
Tel: 01268 522817
The Chelmsford ECLO is Holly Muncey, who is employed by the RNIB.
Email: mse.eclomidsouthessex@nhs.net
Tel: 07901 513416
Local charities
BASIS is a sight loss charity providing help for patients with visual impairment in South Essex.
Tel: 01268 522817
Email: admin@basissouthessex.org.uk
Southend in Sight is a sight loss charity for Southend, providing help for patients with visual impairment.
Tel: 01702 342131
Email: info@southendinsight.org.uk
High street opticians offering glaucoma services
Goldsmith Webb offers Goldmann Applanation Tonometry (GAT) which is a procedure that measures intraocular pressure (IOP), Humphrey Visual Field (HVF) analysis and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) which is a non-invasive imaging technique used to create cross-sectional images of the eye. Several Goldsmith Webb stores have optometrists with higher qualifications in glaucoma and offer emergency appointments.
Goldsmith Webb has stores in multiple locations, including:
Bodys The Opticians
25 Queens Road,
Southend-on-Sea
Essex, SS1 1LT
Tel: 01702 354553
Goldsmith Webb
8 Grover Walk
Corringham
SS17 7LY
Tel: 01375 677577
Goldsmith Webb
37-43 Broadway West,
Leigh-on-Sea
Essex, SS9 2BX
Tel: 01702 710031
Humfrey Eye Care offers HVF, OCT services and emergency appointments. Humfrey Eye Care is run by Stuart Humfrey. He is an experienced optometrist with a higher qualification in glaucoma.
​
223 London Road
Hadleigh
Essex
SS7 2RD
Tel: 01702 599068
Euin Steele offers GAT, HVF and OCT services. Euin Steele has optometrists with higher qualifications in glaucoma and offers emergency appointments.
​
58 Orsett Road
Grays
Essex RM17 5EH
Tel: 01375 37300
Karen Castle offers GAT, HVF and OCT services.
​
78 Hart Road,
Thundersley,
Essex, SS7 3PF
Tel: 01268 793538
Forbes Opticians offers GAT, HVF and OCT services. Forbes Opticians has optometrists with higher qualifications in glaucoma and offers emergency appointments.
​
198 London Rd
Hadleigh, Benfleet
Essex
SS7 2PD
Tel: 01702 555345
James Bryan Opticians offers GAT, HVF and OCT services. James Bryan Opticians has optometrists with higher qualifications in glaucoma and offers emergency appointments.
​
33 The Meadows Shopping Centre
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 6FD
Tel: 01245 357766
Emergency eye care
If you have an emergency condition you can contact your GP, a local optometrist offering emergency appointments on the high street (self refer via www.primaryeyecare.co.uk, or contact one of the optometry practices on this page) or attend your local hospital Accident and Emergency Department.
If you want private care, you are welcome to contact Mr Baneke’s private secretary to check whether he has any last-minute availability.
​​
The Mid and South Essex hospitals with an eye casualty department (referral is via GP, main A&E or a local optometrist) are:
-
Southend University Hospital, Prittlewell Chase, Southend-on-Sea, SSO 0RY
-
Broomfield Hospital, Court Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford, CM1 7ET
-
Queens Hospital, Rom Valley Way, Romford, RM7 0AG
For London patients:
Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD (virtual assessment and phone triage service available via https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/ae)
Essex Local Optical Committee
Essex LOC is funded by Ophthalmic Contractors in the Essex area and acts on behalf of the Contractors, Performers, and others registered with the GOC in dealing with the NHS.