Welcome to this Guide for Information for Eye Express as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Introduction

This is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Eye Express. It is a description of the information about our NHS services that we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals.

How much does it cost? The publications are free unless otherwise indicated.

How is the information made available? The information in each Class is available on our website at eye-express.co.uk or as a printed document from:

1. The Practice Administrator Eye Express 909 Walsall Road Great Barr Birmingham B42 1TN
2. The Practice Administrator Eye Express Unit 32 One Stop Shopping Centre Perry Barr Birmingham B42 1AA

Your Rights to Information

The aim of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is to promote openness and accountability and to provide members of the public with access to information held by public authorities. You are entitled to certain information in relation to the NHS services we provide under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the NHS Openness Code 1995. From 1st January 2005 our opticians will be required to respond to requests for information in relation to the NHS service they provide. You will have a right of access to that information subject to exemptions as contained in the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are also entitled to access your own clinical records or any other personal information held about you. If you wish to obtain copies of this information, please write to The Practice Administrator, Eye Express 909 Walsall Road Great Barr Birmingham B42 1TN

Classes of information

All NHS information at Eye Express is held, retained and/or destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information which can be withheld under the exemptions set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the NHS Openness Code 1995. Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are the protection of commercial interests and the protection of personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all Classes in the publication scheme. The information on this scheme is grouped into the following categories:

1. Who we are

Eye Express offers a complete eye care service of the highest standard combining good value with excellent clinical care. Details of all opticians/optometrists employed by us can be obtained by contacting our Practice Administrator on 0121 357 6465. Alternatively details of all UK registered opticians can be obtained from the General Optical Council via their website at www.optical.org.uk or telephone 020 7580 3898.

2. Our services

We provide free NHS eye tests for those who are eligible. To find out if you are eligible for a free eye test and/or NHS vouchers please contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk. Alternatively, you can contact your local health authority. You may also be entitled to vouchers that can be used against the purchase of glasses or contact lenses if you require them. Appointments for eye tests can be booked over the phone, by dropping into our practices detailed above or by visiting www.eye-express.co.uk. Our opening hours are detailed on the website.

3. Financial and funding information

For every eye test performed on behalf of the NHS, our opticians practice receives a set fee. This includes a contribution towards optometrists and staff salaries, equipment costs and other store overheads. If you are not eligible for the NHS eye test, please contact us for details of our current charges and offers. Further information about Eye Express can be obtained from Companies House (www.companieshouse.gov.uk). There will be a fee payable for the production of such information by Companies House, which will be advised at the time of enquiry. Such information falls outside the publication scheme, as it is not, in itself, public authority information.

4. Regular publications and information for the public

Information about our services, eye tests, glasses and contact lenses, can be found on our website, www.eye-express.co.uk

5. Complaints

6. If you have a complaint about any of our products or services, we recommend that you first discuss any problems with the optician/optometrist on site. If the matter cannot be resolved in this way or you are unsatisfied with the response you receive please address complaints to Mrs Bal Dhinsa, Practice Manager, either by telephone on 0121 357 6465 or at the Great Barr address detailed above. A full copy of our complaints policy is available on request.

7. Our policies and procedures

• Complaints
• Data Protection
• Health and Safety

These are all available from: The Practice Administrator, 909 Walsall Road Great Barr Birmingham B42 1TN

8. This guide information

We will publish any changes we make to this guide or relevant information. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.

Cost of Information

For the most part, we will only charge for printed copies of information required and our charges will be reviewed regularly. Current charges are as follows:

• Accessed from our website – free of charge
• Single hard copies – free of charge
• Multiple hard copies, or archived copies will attract a charge for photocopying, retrieval and postage. We will inform you in advance of the proposed charge(s)
• Feedback

If you have any comments about the operation of the Publication Scheme, or how we have dealt with your request for information from the scheme, please write to The Practice Administrator, 909 Walsall Road Great Barr Birmingham B42 1TN