Optical Express makes £10m investment in equipment

Optical Express has invested over £10 million in eye care equipment and technology, as part of a record-breaking deal with Zeiss.

The company announced a £5m order for Zeiss OCT scanners earlier this year, with a further order for Zeiss equipment now taking the total investment to over £10m.

The eye care provider suggested the order is “one of the largest eye care equipment orders ever to have been made in Europe,” as well as the largest single investment by Optical Express in its 30-year history.

The investment will include Zeiss’ Clarus 500 ultra-widefield imaging system and Opmi Lumera 700 surgical microscopes, as well as the Cirrus HD-OCT 5000/500 OCT scanners, and the IOLMaster 700 TK swept source OCT technology with total keratometry.

The new technology is already deployed at some Optical Express clinics and will be rolled out to its refractive and cataract surgery clinics across the country.

The company suggested the technology will facilitate “improved insight into the health and refractive requirements of the patient, allowing faster diagnosis and more advanced management plans.”

Highlighting the “significant benefits” of the technology, Stephen Hannan, clinical services director for Optical Express, said: “It’s great news that these new technologies will now be offered in our clinics throughout the UK and Ireland, making first-class care more accessible for patients, regardless of where they live.”

Describing the investment as a “vote of confidence” in Zeiss’ technology, Hannan confirmed it formed part of Optical Express’ long-term plan for growth.

The company’s expansion programme has seen new clinics open in Birmingham, Dumfries and Milton Keynes this year.