020 7938 1251 | Opening Times | info@specsofkensington.co.uk
At Specs of Kensington we wish to go above and beyond. Our goal is provide the best Optometry has to offer. We are committed to using the most up to date examination techniques and deliver not only extended eye examinations and all types of contact lens fitting, but also a wide range of specialist optometry services, in the hands of true experts in the field.
We continue to invest in state-of-the-art specialist eye care equipment, maintaining a constant commitment to clinical excellence and the needs of each individual. This remains particularly important to us. Our patients range in age from nine months to 99 years old. Whoever you are and wherever you come from you will enjoy the same unbeatable level of specialist eye care and access to the best quality glasses, contact lenses and eye care products available in the UK today.
The Practice was first opened in 1984 by leading Optometrist Daska Barnett, while she also worked as senior sessional Optometrist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Since then, Specs of Kensington has more than quadrupled in size, but still has several of the original personnel as team members. We strive to be the most respected, dynamic and recommended Optometry practice in London.
Daska was joined in 1993 by optician Elaine Styles who specialises in contact lens and primary eye care at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Elaine, now an Honorary Life Member of the British College of Optometrists, and a Liveryman at the Worshipful company of Spectacle Makers, also runs the Charity Vision Care for Homeless People. She is an expert in Keratoconic Contact lens fitting.
Farida Ahmed joined the Optometry team in 2008. She relocated to London from Newcastle, where she was working with Mike Offord, the Optometrist who first employed and trained Daska more than 35 years ago. Always calm and kind, Farida specialises in Paediatric Optometry and Orthokeratology contact lens fitting.
Dr Zahra Jessa joined us in 2015 on a part time basis, her other professional roles being Clinical Director at the Royal National Institute for the Blind at their resource centre in Judd Street London, where she is involved in their Learning Disability and Dyslexia clinics. She has a specialist interest and skill in Correctable Low Vision and she has a particular interest in the care of older people. Also working in the Cataract, Low Vision and Macular Degeneration Services at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Zhara runs a dedicated Low Vision Aid clinic for us.
We welcomed Ridhi Notay and Radhika Kotecha to our professional team in 2018.
Ridhi has 12 years’ experience in independent Practice. She is passionate about providing the highest levels of Patient care. She excels at building trusting relationships, something we put high value on at Specs of Kensington, knowing it helps us deliver the best possible clinical service. She is a skilled Contact Lens Practitioner, including Orthokeratology fitting for myopia control. Ridhi also runs our specialist Dry Eye Clinic services. A keen and intrepid traveller, she has been involved in Vision Aid Overseas projects in Ethiopia.
Radhika brings a highly specialised skill set to the Specs of Kensington Optometry team. When not looking after our own Patients, she works at Moorfields Eye Hospital in the Glaucoma, Medical Retina (macula degeneration) and Accident and Emergency clinics. As well as high street practice, she also has experience of working in Ophthalmology research. She is currently undertaking further specialist training in glaucoma and independent prescribing, which will enable us to expand the services we can to offer our customers. She is a member of the College of Optometrists, Association of Optometrists and General Optical Council.
Our newest recruit is Tess Agnew. A New Zealander by birth, Tess is a fully qualified Doctor of Optometry in Australia, graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2015. Between 2016 to 2018 she worked in a Practice in Sydney, which has a very similar approach and ethos to here at Specs of Kensington. Tess brings a broad skill base to our team and holds a specialised therapeutic drugs endorsement. Wishing to broaden her horizons, Tess joined us in September 2018. She is currently taking part in the UK Scheme for Registration programme. We are delighted to be supporting her in this exciting new stage of her career.
This sense of being part of the same family team also extends to Specs of Kensington’s customers, whose loyalty has helped drive the organisations expansion. Incredibly, for a central London optometry practice, Specs of Kensington regularly sees three different generations of patients from the same households.
Even people who‘ve moved to all four corners of the globe still come back to see us. Currently, Specs of Kensington Opticians has people booking eye tests from as far afield as South America, South Africa and Switzerland!
As a patient I am confident in receiving carefully considered advice at each visit, with the issues and options explained clearly. I have no doubt that my best interests are being served, to the extent that on some occasions it has taken Daska several years of patient chiding before I have taken heed of her sound advice. I have been a patient of the practice for over 20 years, travelling each time from Gerrards Cross to be treated by the excellent team at Specs of Kensington. I intend to continue to do so for many years to come.
J.F. Gerrads Cross
I can't thank you enough for the time, care and good advice you have given me over the years.
Mrs C.W. Dorset
I am 11 years old and have needed to wear glasses since I was 7. The people who work at 'Specs' were very kind. I would go in every day for 5 days to learn how to put the contact lenses in. There were days when I thought I could not do it, but Chloe believed I could. Because of their kindness I can now pop my contact lenses in each morning without difficulty and anybody who finds out that I wear contact are amazed. Specs have helped me ever since I was seven years old and I know they still will for a long time.
A.L. East Acton
I am 11 years old and have needed to wear glasses since I was 7. When I was 8, Chloe suggested that I could wear contact lenses because I needed to wear glasses all the time. I did lots of sports so I kept on taking my glasses off. The people who work at ‘Specs‘ were very kind. I would go in every day for 5 days to learn how to put the contact lenses in. There were days when I thought I could not do it, but Chloe believed I could. Because of their kindness I can now pop my contact lenses in each morning without difficulty and anybody who finds out that I wear contact are amazed. Specs have helped me ever since I was seven years old and I know they still will for a long time.
Testament from one of our patients, fitted aged 8 yrs old
The new lenses are stunning. They were instantly comfortable. The transistion from near to far focus is seamless - the best yet. Most importantly there are no issues with peripheral vision, the coverage is better than any of my previous lenses.
Mr P.W. London
I was so grateful to you for dealing with my delinquent eyelids and I am glad to say they have been much better since I started the treatment. I greatly appreciate all your care during my visit. I felt a lot better coming away with your reassurance about eyesight and eyelids.
C.M. Highgate
I have to Daska, you honestly have the best practice with the finest team and I am pleased to be a Specs patient.
Mr A.B. Newbury
Daska was AMAZING. I'm so used to Specsavers/ Vision Express type outfits and was so bowled over by the level of service, information received and the overall treat.ment throughout. Many, many thanks. It was an overall brilliant experience
R.P. London
Specs of Kensington - a friendly, highly professional, all-female Optometrist team - fitted my lenses and made the whole process easy and painless. They explained exactly how the lenses work illustrating the treatment with hi-tech images and information which I found fascinating. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Jo Fernandez - Evening Standard Travel Journalist
I want to thank you so very much for seeing me on Friday. You are always so patient, unhurried and kind. I was so anxious about my eyes but came away feeling very much reassured. I look forward to seeing you again in six months time.
C.B. Hampshire
I have many good things to say about Specs of Kensington; after all I have been going to see them for 25 years. When I sat in the shop as a young teenager with my parents and brother, who would have thought that my daughters would be receiving the same love, care and attention from Daska and her team. The service we receive at Specs of Kensington goes beyond the basic eye care. They are exceptional. They make us feel special, they have done so for three generations and we always highly recommend their skills to anyone.
E.L. East Acton
For Twenty years I tried unsuccessfully to wear contact lenses and I decided to give it one last go and booked an appointment at Specs of Kensington. Daska was fantastic. She very patiently took me through numerous types of lenses and unbelievably she found one that suited my prescription when I had been told by so many opticians that I wasn't a suitable candidate for contact lenses. That was nine years ago and since then Daska has been constantly updating my prescription and providing me with new and up to date solutions for my eyes.
P.C. Kensington
It was so lovely to see you when I came in for my appointment and catch up on news. Thank you for the glasses spray cleaner and cloth which are coming in very handy. Congratulations on running your superb eye business in your 30th year. I have you and your wonderful team to thank for my healthy eye and continued comfortable contact lens wear - started 25 years ago for sharpened sight on my wedding day.
S.R. London
Thank you so very much for all your kind support & for being so understanding. You are the only professional who has ever listened to me from the beginning and treated me like a person. It is only thanks to you that I wear a contact lens at all. I am grateful for your continuing care, interested and support.
S.P. Woking
Your care for the individual rather just the pair of eyes shines out and is utterly exemplary; and your concern and attention to detail, and also the way that you explain things in a human way, is just in a totally different league to any optician, ophthalmologist or optometrist I've seen in a generation. It's obvious that your standards and passion apply across the whole staff too. That's one part of my welfare that I know forever is in as good hands as it can be.
R.C-B London
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