Portsmouth is a port city in Hampshire located on Portsea Island. It became a city in 1926 and was described by the local council as the first naval port of the kingdom. One aspect that is still revered to this day is the city’s optical services.
Anne Gill, practice owner and dispensing optician, opened her eponymous practice five years ago in the city. She says: ‘I was born and bred in Portsmouth, so I like working here. It’s not a particularly wealthy city, but it has a very diverse population.’
Gill has worked in optics for 40 years and decided to open her own practice in 2013. ‘I’ve developed great relationships with patients and know several generations of families who have found me and always come back. Our patients appreciate the effort we put into every 45-minute appointment.’
Anne Gill Eyewear runs a regular dry eye clinic with a Tear Lab. ‘We found that it worked really well and brought in many patients. We’re also affiliated with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and run their optical outpatients clinics here.’ The practice recently purchased a Spectralis OCT and also has a low vision aid clinic. Gill says: ‘I find that after being diagnosed with a condition, people don’t always ask for advice about vision problems. I try to go to sheltered housing to give talks about how we can help.’
The practice (pictured) tries to only use eyewear companies that support independents. ‘We stock Wolf Eyewear, who were very supportive of me when I first started, as well as Eyewear Company, Stepper and Charmant,’ Gill says.
Michelle Newton, practice manager at Ashleigh Sight Care, believes Portsmouth has a lot to offer its residents as a strong naval city. ‘It’s got a great cultural background and there is plenty to do with the sea right at our doorstep.’
As part of a practice that is proud to be independent, Newton says: ‘We like to offer our time and a high quality of service to our patients.’
Current staff have seen the practice pass onto two new owners, having been established in the community for over 80 years. The practice offers enhanced services such as a dry eye clinic and low vision services. It is part of the Hospital Eye Services in the area, where the team can treat patients with minor eye conditions from referrals received from hospitals. Staff at the practice include a qualified dispensing optician and optometrists who all have masters degrees and PhDs in contact lenses and varying specialisms.
Who’s in town
Total: 9
Independents: 5
Multiples: 4
Average costs
The price of an eye exam in Portsmouth ranges from £10 to £70, at an average cost of £30.72.
Population - see pie chart
Population: 214,832
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation, Hampshire Local Optical Committee has a contract with South East Hampshire CCG in Low Vision and Stable Glaucoma Monitoring.
Health and affluence
- The average house price in Portsmouth is £238,975 (Zoopla), compared with a UK average of £224,144 (Land Registry, 2018).
- Portsmouth has an average salary of £25,190, with the UK average being £27,271 (Payscale, 2018).
- In Portsmouth, it is estimated that 7,010 people live with early stage age-related macular degeneration (RNIB).
- By 2030, it is predicted that 7,140 people in Portsmouth will be living with sight loss – an increase of 30.1% (RNIB).
Fact file
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, pictured, the engineer who built dockyards, steamships and the Great Western Railway during the Industrial Revolution, was born in Portsmouth.
Portsmouth is the second most densely populated city in the UK, with a population of more than 200,000 people.
The city appears on the Gough Map, the oldest surviving route map of Great Britain, which dates from approximately 1360. It is labelled as Portis Mouth and is represented by a red-roofed building.
Ayers Rock in Australia is named after Sir Henry Ayers who was born in Portsmouth in 1821 and was the premier for South Australia five times.
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