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"If it wasn't for Alisdair, I wouldn't be alive today"
It is fair to say that if it wasn’t for Alisdair, I wouldn’t be alive today. I had been experiencing poor vision for a while, and whilst other opticians could not solve my problem, I visited Alisdair after a recommendation from my brother. Within an hour of seeing me, he suggested I go to the hospital, who then diagnosed a tumour, which was subsequently removed. The hospital since told me that if it hadn’t been discovered I would have been dead within three weeks. Thank you Alisdair.
Mrs Heather Clifton
"Unique service surpasses anything I have experienced with high street opticians"
I am a Practice Manager for a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at a local hospital. When my boss discovered that I have a strong family history of glaucoma, both my parents have the condition, he insisted that I was regularly monitored not only by himself, but with an optometrist – he recommended Buchanan Optometrists.
Not only do Buchanan’s have the most up to date state of the art equipment, which can monitor my condition and avoid any deterioration, long before it would be noticeable to me, but they offer a professional, caring service.
Alisdair is always on hand to offer explanations; he is personally involved with his patients ensuring their treatment is individually tailor made. I am cordially reminded by letter each time I am due for review and am offered a fantastic level of care and an impressive variety of glasses to choose from.
The service that Alisdair offers is unique and on a level that surpasses anything I have experienced with High Street opticians. I regularly recommend his services to patients, friends and family secure in the knowledge that the care they will receive is the best available.
Alison Ludgate - Patient and practice manager to Consultant Ophthalmologist Ejaz Ansari
"Neil's dyslexic symptoms are gone"
Neil is a seven and a half year old lovable boy and twin. Since starting school he has struggled with reading and writing, falling behind not only his twin brother but his peers also. Despite repeated concerns raised with the school only to be told ‘it’s his age , he will grow out of it’ and ‘he’s a boy, boys develop slower than girls’ I knew something wasn’t quite right. Opening the reading books or comparing writing with his twin brother only reinforced the differences between them. Failure to meet the Year 2 School Attainment Test (SATs) national target resulted in Neil being independently assessed by a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENco) and an independent Dyslexia screen which showed ‘High probability’ of dyslexia. I had almost resigned myself to the fact that Neil was Dyslexic as he showed the common traits of: lack of concentration; muddling letters such as ‘p’ and ‘q’ and ‘b’ and ‘d’; missing words out of a sentence; skipping lines in text; and a general apathy towards learning.
It was by chance that I was recommended Buchanan Optometrists for a Dry-Eye condition (which I would like to add they sorted and changed my blurry world into a clear one stopping my headaches and ability to read clearly) and whilst in the waiting room I read a leaflet all about colour overlays and thought ‘that’s my Neil’. The test was worth every penny and Neil was made to feel relaxed and cared for. I must admit I cried due to the relief a reason for him falling behind at school could easily be helped and also from guilt at having never heard of this before and not asking the right questions regarding words moving on the page and others.
Within 24 hours the teacher had made the whiteboard blue (Neil’s colour) and he could see what was on the board (not just a jumble of patterns). The colour overlay make an instant difference in Neil’s reading and I invested in coloured blank and lined paper for his writing and worksheets. Two months on, all Neil’s dyslexic symptoms are gone, he has reached the national reading target; in fact, Neil is overall a different child, more confident now he can participate in learning and is like a sponge soaking it all up. We have invested in the glasses with colour tinting in order to make Neil’s world a better place and help him with television, the computer and the world in general clearer.
It is the best investment we ever made and I now have an amazing child made even more amazing and much happier. Buchannan Optometrists are experienced at testing and helping children like Neil and they have been more than great through supporting both Neil and I through this difficult time. - Caroline Russell, Neil's mum
"Our daughter actually enjoys her visit to a health professional team"
Dear Mr & Mrs Buchanan,
We wanted to write to you to express our sincere thanks for the superb friendly and very professional service that you and your staff have provided for both ourselves but in particular our daughter.
As you are aware our little girl has Trisomy 21 and it is not always easy to obtain the specialist help required, you however, have gone over and above the ‘duty of care’ to ensure that Beatrix’s needs in eye care have been met whilst providing a safe and extremely welcoming and delightfully friendly environment.
It really is so refreshing for us to see our daughter actually enjoy her visits to a health professional team.
We look forward to your continued care and wish you all the very best for 2014.
Kind Regards
John & Claire Bateson-Cooper
"My eye test at Buchanan Optometrists saved my life"
I was referred to Alisdair Buchanan by my doctor after I was suffering eye problems which couldn’t correctly be diagnosed. As soon as Alisdair examined my eye, he transferred me to the hospital, where they found out I was suffering from Mucormycosis – a rare flesh-eating disease with an extremely high mortality rate. The hospital subsequently removed my eye before any more harm could be done, but it is fair to say Alisdair saved my life.
Alan Smith
"The very best possible customer service and professionalism"
I have been a patient of Alisdair's for 15 years and was first introduced on recommendation from a friend as my daughter had eye problems and been discharged from Moorfields Hospital and I needed to feel comfortable moving forward to a new optician.
My daughter was then 7 and was a little difficult with a strong personality and with the eye issues she had, needed to be handled well! Alisdair was first class with this and she immediately liked him, his humour, and he put no pressure on her at all, but most importantly she trusted him and was relaxed and so was I.
This was when Alisdair worked in an opticians in Strood and quickly all my children (I have four) were tested and along with myself have been his patients ever since, sometimes at inconvenience as we followed him to a practice in Bluewater, Maidstone and was delighted he then set up his own practice in Snodland. In Snodland he had the best technical equipment to test us which meant if there had been any further issues with my daughter Megan's eyes it would have been quickly spotted.
Alisdair is a darling and always gives us the very best possible customer service and professionalism, he is fair, he is loyal, kind, generous hearted and I would never want to use another optician.Sharon Turner-Fry