Private eye care for Alcester
Most patients travelling from Alcester to George Road drive themselves, because the A435 gives a quick, direct run in. Anyone who no longer drives — or who would rather not attempt the trip home afterwards — has a genuinely workable alternative: a short lift to Redditch, then a direct train the rest of the way.
Photograph by Colin Craig, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Driving in: the A435 to the M42
The A435 bypasses Alcester to the west and runs concurrently with the A46 for the first stretch north, before splitting off and crossing the M42 at junction 3. From there it continues as the A435 through Wythall, Kings Heath and Moseley into Edgbaston — mostly dual carriageway, and a more direct run than it looks on a map. The one section to allow extra time for is the last two or three miles, through Kings Heath and Moseley, which back up at both peaks.
If you are not driving: a lift to Redditch, then the train
There is no realistic way to reach George Road from Alcester itself on public transport. Redditch, though, about 15 minutes away via the A435 and A448, sits on the Cross-City line, and its trains run straight through to Five Ways with no change needed at New Street. If someone can manage that short run to the station but not the full drive into Birmingham, that combination is worth setting up properly — it does the job a lift the whole way would, for a fraction of the driving. If nobody can even manage the drive to Redditch, book a taxi for the whole journey rather than trying to make the train work from further back; there is nothing lesser about arriving that way.
Villages around Alcester
Patients from Great Alne, Haselor, Wixford, Arrow and Kinwarton are all a similar distance from George Road as Alcester itself, and most arrive after a routine sight test in the town or one of the surrounding villages. Bring your prescription history to the first appointment if the practice that tested you can print it — how it has changed over a few years tells Ms Jiang more than a single reading.
The dilating drops and the way home
You will have dilating drops at the first appointment and should not drive afterwards, and that applies whichever way you got there. Someone who drove you in needs to drive you home too, not just drop you off. Someone who took the train from Redditch will need collecting from Redditch station on the way back — a short local trip rather than a return run into Birmingham, and worth agreeing with whoever gave the lift before the day rather than on it.
Getting there
- From Alcester town centre
- About 35–40 minutes via the A435 and M42 junction 3
- From Great Alne or Kinwarton
- About 40 minutes via the A435 through Alcester
- By train, park-and-ride at Redditch
- About 15 minutes to the station, then a direct 35-minute train to Five Ways with no change
- From Wixford or Arrow
- About 40–45 minutes via the A435
Your nearest clinics
Edgbaston Eye Consultants
22 George Road
Birmingham B15 1PJ
Where you can see Ms Jiang
An interactive map of the clinics. Every clinic is also listed in full below, with its address and consulting times.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Cartography by Protomaps
Two minutes, no obligation
Not sure whether a consultation is worthwhile?
Answer a few short questions and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth coming in. It takes about two minutes and is not a medical assessment.
This questionnaire is not a medical assessment and does not tell you whether you can have surgery.
What treatment costs
Your exact costs are confirmed in writing before anything is booked, and nothing is charged before you have had them in front of you.
Laser eye surgery
£1,295per eye
Laser vision correction is elective and is not usually covered by private medical insurance.
Premium monofocal lens
The lens used for cataract surgery or refractive lens replacement, set for one working distance.
from £2,795per eye
Multifocal lens
The lens used for cataract surgery or refractive lens replacement, focusing at more than one distance.
£3,595per eye
Lens surgery for spectacle independence is not usually covered by private medical insurance.
Implantable contact lens
£3,395per eye
YAG laser capsulotomy
from £395per eye
Your exact costs are confirmed in writing before anything is booked. Nothing is charged before you have had them in front of you.
Common questions
What happens at the first consultation?
The first appointment takes about 45 minutes and is with Ms Jiang herself, not a delegate.
- A discussion of your symptoms, your general health and what you want from your vision
- A full examination, including measurements of the eye and its focusing power
- Dilating drops, which blur your vision for a few hours
- A frank conversation about the options, including doing nothing
- A written summary sent to you and, with your consent, to your GP
Because of the dilating drops, you should not plan to drive yourself home.
Do I need a referral from my GP?
Not for a self-funded consultation — you can book directly. If you are claiming on private medical insurance, most insurers require a GP or optometrist referral before they will authorise the appointment, so check with your insurer first.
Do you accept private medical insurance?
Note that refractive lens exchange carried out to reduce dependence on glasses is generally not covered by insurance, as it is considered elective. Cataract surgery usually is.
Can I come for a second opinion?
Yes, and you are welcome to. Bring any measurements, scans or correspondence you already have. Ms Jiang is happy to review a plan made elsewhere and tell you whether she agrees with it.
Arrange a consultation
Enquiries are answered within one working day by Ms Jiang’s secretary.
Considering treatment, and based in Alcester?
Send Ms Jiang’s practice a message and we will come back to you within one working day.