Institute of Optometry patient database taken over by Crofton Park Opticians

Patient records from the now closed Institute of Optometry have been taken over by Crofton Park Opticians in South East London.

Patients will be contacted when they are due an appointment, whether for a regular eye examination, contact lens review, or visual stress assessment, optometrist and owner Pritesh Patel confirmed to OT.

The independent optometry practice took possession of the Institute of Optometry’s database at the end of August.

Since then, staff have been working to upload the institute’s paper records into the Crofton Park Opticians practice management system, Patel explained.

Southwark Council confirmed in March 2025 that the Institute of Optometry would be demolished in order to make way for a new housing development.

After alternative premises were unable to be found, the institute ceased seeing patients at the end of July.

Since then, a number of former Institute of Optometry patients have contacted the AOP with concerns over their future eye care provision.

One patient told OT that they had not received direct communication from the Institute of Optometry regarding its closure, and had not received a response when they attempted to make contact.

OT raised the question of whether patients had been contacted directly with the institute on 18 August, but did not receive confirmation that this had taken place.

A notice of closure posted on the Institute of Optometry’s website in September confirmed that patient records would be transferred to Crofton Park Opticians.

Patel, who is chair of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Local Optical Committee, sought to reassure patients that their eye health needs will continue to be met by his practice.

“I believe we have comprehensive and full records of all active patients,” Patel said.

He added: “We do understand and sympathise that this [the closure of the Institute of Optometry] may be distressing and stressful to some patients, and we would like to reassure them that we will do our best for them.”

The practice has received queries from patients who will find it difficult to access Crofton Park Opticians and is fulfilling requests to release patient records in accordance with GDPR rules and the practice’s privacy policies, Patel said.

Chairman of trustees at the Institute of Optometry, Michael Wolff, said that arrangements are being made “so that the charitable funds which the institute holds will in the future continue to be used in a way which benefits both patients and the optometric profession.”

Further clarification on how the charitable funds will be used has been requested by OT.

Lead image: the Institute of Optometry. Image courtesy of Stephen Richards, CC BY-SA 2.0