An important update for care homes in England regarding domiciliary optician services and how to verify genuine Visioncare At Home visits.
We are writing to clarify how Visioncare at Home operates and to protect you and your residents from potential confusion regarding domiciliary optician services.
In England, NHS sight tests are delivered by approved providers like Visioncare at Home, but no optician directly represents the NHS. Any provider claiming otherwise is misrepresenting their role.
We have received reports of concerning activity from other providers in the sector, including:
For reassurance, Visioncare at Home continues to provide NHS-funded domiciliary sight tests in line with NHS regulations.
Contact care homes by phone to book clinics with at least two weeks' notice — never by cold unsecured email.
Confirm all clinic details via our secure online portal, which you can access to verify the booking at any time.
Attend in branded uniforms (blue jackets and scrubs), wearing official name badges and carrying all relevant clinic documentation.
Request resident personal data only through our secure online portal — never via personal or unsecured email addresses.
We will never claim to directly represent the NHS.
If you are ever uncertain about an optician visiting your care home, or if you receive a suspicious request, please take the following steps:
Call our main number 0300 303 3210 or use our secure portal to verify any visit. Do not rely on contact details provided by the visiting party.
All genuine Visioncare At Home staff will carry official photo ID, wear branded blue uniforms and have clinic documentation readily available.
If you have concerns about patient safety, report them directly to the General Optical Council (GOC) — the independent statutory regulator for opticians in the UK.
Never share resident personal data or resident lists via email with unverified parties. All legitimate data requests from us come through our secure portal only.
We have raised these issues with the relevant governing bodies and the NHS, who are now investigating. Our priority remains safeguarding your residents' wellbeing and ensuring transparency in eyecare services.
Thank you for your continued trust.
We have raised these issues with the relevant governing bodies and the NHS, who are now investigating. Our commitment to safeguarding your residents' wellbeing and ensuring transparency in eyecare services remains absolute.