Welcome to Long Stratton Eyecare
Long Stratton Eyecare was formerly known as M Shepherd Optometrist until April 2023 when we relocated and rebranded to reflect a fresh approach to eyecare.
We pride ourselves on our core values
- We provide thorough comprehensive eye examinations and detailed assessments giving you the time you need with the Optometrist.
- We strive to offer repeat appointments with the same Optometrist & Dispensing Team where possible to help you see the same friendly faces each time.
- We recognise our clients all have unique requirements, we use our proven process and take the time to listen and ensure the spectacles are tailored to your needs, comfy to wear and look great!
- We offer high quality frame and lens choices, personalised expert advice and ongoing customer service to ensure you get the best value for money
- We continually invest in our equipment, lenses and staff training to ensue we provide the highest level of care and expert advice.
- Our goal is to combine to personal service with professional expertise to give our clients an experience that exceeds expectations.
My wife and I couldn’t have asked for such a friendly and professional service from Sarah-Jane, Karen, Paula & Caroline. From start to finish in choosing our new glasses they were a cut above the rest and this is from experience. And the dedication Sarah-Jane gives to our eye tests is amazing. You can be guaranteed superb service from the entire team.
Sarah-Jane and all of the team are extremely friendly, professional and their customer service is always exceptional. They offer a huge array of styles and really take their time to help you choose the right glasses with absolutely no pressure… I appreciate, and value, the individual and welcoming service I always receive whether over the telephone or whilst at an appointment. Highly recommended and a real example of fantastic customer service!
What a joy! So refreshing to receive personal service where the team genuinely care about you as an individual. Sarah-Jane & the team are friendly & welcoming, whilst remaining professional in their approach at all times. Sarah-Jane is extremely knowledgeable, thorough & her attention to detail is outstanding. I was also impressed with her level of patience when advising & assisting me in choosing the Colour & Style for my glasses.
Excellent customer service. The team are absolutely lovely, and have great attention to detail with prescriptions and advising on the best options for frames and lenses, I absolutely love my new specs! 5 stars and would absolutely recommend.
I was hesitant in going to an independent opticians, as I thought that the costs would be higher and there wouldn’t be a good selection of frames. But I didn’t need to fear. I was overwhelmed at the service I received from Sarah-Jane and her kind and friendly team. It really was the best eye examination that I have had. The selection of frames were fantastic and were surprisingly cheaper than I had expected. Thank you to all the team.
A wonderful warm team with exacting standards. Sarah-Jane was extremely thorough with the eye test including an eye health check, we were very impressed.Nothing was to much trouble for Gus and Paula. They made us feel very welcome. Thank you for all your patience and time helping us choose our new varifocal glasses.
First ever eye test for me and my 8 year old son. The staff were lovely, they made us feel very welcome and relaxed, the lady doing the test explained what was going to happen to both me and my son, we both felt at ease, she was very thorough, we could not fault a thing, I will be recommending them to family and friends!
After very disappointing experiences over the past years a friend recommended Sarah-Jane. She listened, took time and it was imminent evident that it is not about selling the most expensive product, but putting the wishes and needs I had first. I felt valued, listened and what mattered to me most achieved. I was put at ease by being explained and shown the assessment picture of my eyes, knowing those are healthy and that I would get glasses my eyes actually need.
Meet the Team
Passionate about eyecare
Sarah-Jane
Optometrist Director
BSc(Hons)Optometry MCOPTOM DipTpIp
Sarah-Jane studied at City University London before moving to Norfolk to complete her professional exams, since then she has earned a postgraduate diplopma in Independent Prescribing with Ulster University and has over 11 years of experience working as an Optometrist across practices in Norfolk. In 2020 Sarah-Jane fulfilled her dream of owning her own practice, she loves the clinical aspect of her work and says “it’s always great to welcome new patients and try to make a difference to them, but it’s a wonderful experience when I see existing patient’s return for their check-up and to have a catchup”.
Outside of work, Sarah-Jane enjoys spending time with her family and is a passionate runner. She completed her first marathon in October 2024 and looks forward to participating in more events in the future to raise money for charity.
Karen
Optical Associate
Karen brings wither a wealth of experience from her extensive carer in the eyecare sector. She joined the team in April 2021 after originally visiting as a client.
Karen has a varied role and enjoys helping our clients choose the perfect specs, assists with the hand picking of the spectacle frames we stock within the practice, manages our social media and she’s also an expert in both spectacle lenses and contact lenses. Karen is our longest serving team member and the go- to person for all things tech related in the office!.
Outside of work Karen enjoys spending time with her family and friends, she has two crazy labradors that keep her busy the rest of the time and when she gets the chance she enjoys camping and yoga!
Paula
Optical Associate
Paula joined the team in August 2021 after making a complete career change into optics. Though new to the field she quickly adapted and excelled through the training. Paula is always on hand to offer an honest opinion and assist our client’s with narrowing down their frame selection to find the perfect pair, she is comprehensive in the spectacle lenses available to offer expert guidance and handles any repairs that may come her way.
Outside of work Paula enjoys spending time with her family including her two grown-up children, planning holidays (don’t get her started!) and is a keen walker!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the questions we often receive from new clients. We hope these provide clear and helpful answers, but if there’s anything you’re unsure of, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Some large optical chains advertise glasses from £25. What’s important to you?
Do you want the cheapest prices or the best value with the best quality and expertise, once you know what is important to you, then you can choose the appropriate opticians that can deliver that for you.
We all know you get what you pay for. We don’t do the ‘chain offers’ as we focus on top quality eyewear and personalised service. We want to give you the best price we can for the high quality specs that do what you require and which you’ll love! We package this with professional expertise and the ongoing aftercare you deserve. The great news is we always have options available for you.
Our flexible payment options let you spread the investment into your new eyewear over 2/3 or 4 months with no extra charges or hassle. For even better value and benefits check out our practice eyeplan membership.
The Enhanced Private Examination is £65 for private patients, however, if you’re eligible for an NHS funded examination and wish to come in on a private day (or opt to become a private patient in order to be seen sooner) we will subsidise the cost by more than the value of your nhs entitlement, reducing the cost to just £40. You get a longer, comprehensive test including OCT and can be seen sooner!
For the best long-term value, we recommend our Eyeplan membership, which covers unlimited eye care appointments, including discounted pricing on eyewear. Starting at just £8.00 per month (or the cost of two coffees in the city!), Eyeplan offers exceptional benefits and peace of mind.
For more information or to discuss your eligibility, feel free to contact us.
If you wish to visit us simply give us a call on 01508 532669 and ask to register, we will take a few details from you and get you booked in for your appointment at a convenient time.
During our dispensing service we take the time with you to identify the best lenses to suit your needs and offer the advice to get the best cosmetic finish on your spectacles.
The time we spend with patients during this process does have significant cost to us as a business, therefore due to the individually tailored nature of this process when an order is placed, as we as a business incur costs, we are unable to refund any cancelled orders.
You are entitled to take your prescription once your eye examination is complete. The College of Optometrist’s advice to patient’s is:
‘You have a right to have your prescription dispensed wherever you choose. However, as prescribing and dispensing of spectacles are closely linked it is best to have your spectacles dispensed where you have your eyes examined. It is often more difficult to resolve any problems you may have with your spectacles when prescribing and supply are separated.’
An eye examination relies on subjective responses provided by the patient so there can be small differences from one exam to the other, sometimes these small changes can lead to new spectacles tolerance issues. We endorse the College of Optometrist’s recommendation and encourage patients’ to have their eyes examined where they plan to dispense spectacles. If you purchase your spectacles from us and have any issues we will happily work with you to resolve this at no extra charge (this possibility is already factored into our pricing scheme), however if you choose to take your prescription elsewhere, then it is the responsibility of the supplier of your spectacles/contact lenses to rectify this; if this occurs and you return to us to solve then any time and costs will be passed on to the patient.
Eyeplan is a monthly membership designed to offer you exceptional value for money and the reassurance that you have access to expert eye care whenever you need it. For a small monthly direct debit, Eyeplan covers all your eye care appointments as often as necessary, allowing you to be seen privately for quicker service.
With Eyeplan, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits, including:
• Unlimited Appointments: Schedule as many appointments as you need for regular eye exams or any concerns regarding your vision—at no extra charge.
• Urgent Care: If you experience any issues with your eye health or vision we can provide urgent triage and get you booked in appropriately without any additional fees.
• Ongoing Monitoring: The plan also covers additional monitoring, repeat tests, or investigations that may be necessary for your eye health.
• Expert Care: All examinations and tests are conducted by your optometrist, not a technician, ensuring you receive the highest standard of care. Results are available immediately, allowing for timely investigation of any anomalies.
• Exclusive Discounts: Eyeplan members benefit from special pricing on eyewear, giving you access to quality frames and lenses at a discounted rate.
We developed Eyeplan to provide our clients with the best possible value while ensuring we can maintain a sustainable practice. This way, we can continue to offer discounted eyewear and keep serving the eye care needs of the Long Stratton community for years to come.
If you have any further questions about Eyeplan or how it can benefit you, please feel free to ask.
Absolutely! While our Eyeplan is designed to provide value for money and a range of benefits for our clients, there is no requirement to sign up if you prefer to pay for your services as you attend that’s absolutely fine!.
You’re more than welcome to pay for each appointment individually whenever you need care.
Then, just bring your bank details along with you on your next visit, and you can begin benefiting from all that Eyeplan has to offer right away!
If you have any questions during the sign-up process, feel free to ask us for assistance. We’re here to help!
