Divided by the River Stour, the historic cathedral city of Canterbury is situated in East Kent, approximately 55 miles from London. As a Unesco World Heritage Site, the settlement is home to a plethora of historic buildings; each containing tales of bygone eras.
In the year 597, a Catholic Benedictine monk landed on the Isle of Thanet and headed to Canterbury with the intention of bringing Christianity back to the south of England. Successful in his mission, St Augustine was the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
Nowadays, Canterbury is the second largest economy in Kent with a worth of £1.3 billion in 2001. Tourism is the cornerstone of local business, while the city’s biggest university (University of Kent) generates an annual income of £253.8 million.
Despite the area’s recent economic achievements, local optometrist Paul Thompson says it is not all about the money at Cargills Optometrists. Prioritising patient satisfaction over profit
margin, Thompson believes that great customer service is what separates his practice from the rest. ‘We want people to be confident and happy with the products they buy,’ says the optometrist.
Thompson joined the independent nine years ago after previously working as a locum in London. Although he admits that operating as a locum gave him a certain variety and flexibility, the optom says the offer to become a partner at Cargills in 2011 felt like ‘a right place at the right time’ moment.
At present, the Canterbury practice operates with one test room. However, Thompson says working in a smaller practice allows him to provide continuity of care, and uses the company’s contact lens fitting procedure as an example. ‘The optometrist does everything. They will do your fitting, assessment and follow-up. You’re looked after from start to finish,’ says Thompson.
‘It’s great that after 16 years here we have such a loyal client base,’ says Jason Gillan (pictured), optometrist director at Specsavers Canterbury.
Located in the heart of the ‘vibrant’ city, Gillan comments that the best thing about working in Canterbury’s eye care service is the variety of patients he treats. From young families to retirees, the team at Specsavers works closely with GPs and hospitals.
Gillan says that his practice has ‘really benefited’ from professional training provided by Specsavers. In particular, he mentions how EOS training for Mecs, glaucoma and, now OCT (in preparation for Specsavers’ nationwide rollout) has enabled his staff to deliver better clinical service for residents.
Yet, recruitment, Gillan admits, is the biggest challenge which faces eye care services in Canterbury. ‘From the first year we opened, we have always taken a pre-reg student,’ he says.
Who’s in town
Total: 8
Independents: 3
Multiples: 5
Average costs
The price of an eye exam in Canterbury ranged from £19 to £30, producing an average cost of £24.50.
Population - see pie chart
Canterbury city 55,240, District 162,416 (ONS 2011)
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation,
Kent & Medway Optical Committee has secured a contract for Canterbury & Coastal CCG in Glaucoma Repeat Readings.
Health and affluence
- The average house price in Canterbury is £312,575 (Zoopla) compared with a UK average of £223,257 (Land Registry, 2017)
- Canterbury has an average salary of £21,234 (PayScale, 2017)
- In 2015, there were 3,150 people living with diabetic retinopathy in the City of Canterbury (RNIB Sight Loss Data Tool 2015)
- It is estimated that by 2025 there will be 2,310 people living with cataract in theCity of Canterbury (RNIB)
Fact file
Canterbury became a popular place of pilgrimage after Thomas Becket, the former Archbishop, was murdered at Canterbury Cathedral on the orders of King Henry II – his once good friend – in 1170, pictured.
St Martins is the oldest Church in England that is still in use. The Renaissance Mass is performed in the church today and dates from the 14th century.
There is no evidence Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, ever visited Canterbury.
In 1348, the Black Death killed thousands of people in the city. Monks at the cathedral had to have a bath before every service, and this helped protect them from the plague.
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