Minor Eye Conditions Service

The Minor Eye Conditions Scheme (MECS) is available to people with new or very recent minor eye probems to get the help that they need quickly and easily closer to home.

Under this scheme, any patient who is registered with a Blackburn with Darwen GP can access this local service rather than waiting for a GP appointment or referral to a specialist clinic. Patients are able to self-present to an optometry or optician’s practice which provides this service. It may be useful to contact the opticians first to arrange a suitable appointment date and time.

Opening times vary but most are open between 9am and 5:30pm Monday – Saturday, and some 10am – 4:00pm on Sunday.

At a MECS appointment, clinical assessment, diagnosis and then clinical management will take place. Other, more serious eye problems – which may seem ‘minor’ – may require the help of an eye specialist (an ophthalmologist). If this is the case, the MECS practitioner can make the referral for the patient directly with the hospital, making it easier for them to get the treatment they need as quickly as possible.

The following conditions are seen under the MECS service –

  • Watery eyes
  • In-growing lashes (trichiasis) – feels like you have something in your eye
  • Superficial foreign bodies
  • Inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis – red, flaky and itchy lids)
  • Dry eyes (gritty/itchy/stinging/burning)
  • Red eye (with normal vision and no pain)
  • Flashing lights and “floaters”
  • Styes and lid lumps (chalazion/hordeolum)

This service is available at the following optician shops: 

Blackburn

Blackburn Optical Centre — Unit 400, Glenfield Park, Blackwater Road, BB1 5QH Tel: 01254 663263
Ideal Eyecare — 783 Whalley New Road, BB1 9BE Tel: 01254 433720
New Bank Optical — 26 New Bank Road, BB2 6JW Tel: 01254 661234
Specsavers — Unit 1, Morrisons Supermarket, Railway Road, BB1 5AZ Tel: 01254 682504
Specsavers — 21 Lord Street Mall, BB1 7NQ Tel: 01254 580099
A J Spurrett — 20 Richmond Terrace, BB1 7BL Tel: 01254 59443
Tyrrells And Embery Optometry — 66 Darwen Street, BB2 2BL Tel: 01254 53554
Vision Express — Unit 237, Cobden Court, Blackburn Shopping Centre, BB1 7JG Tel: 01254 660652
Second Sight Eyecare — 107–109 Johnston Street, BB2 1HY Tel: 01254 678006
Wordens Eyecare — 61–63 James Street, BB1 6BE Tel: 01254 59558
 
 
Darwen
 

Susan Hilton — 45 Bridge Street, BB3 2AA Tel: 01254 708877
Wordens Eyecare — 34 Market Street, BB3 1DN Tel: 01254 776630

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