Private eye care for Redditch
Patients from Redditch who no longer drive have an easier journey than most: a direct train from the town's own station to Five Ways, ten minutes from the clinic, with no change and no walk across Birmingham. Driving there yourself means a different challenge — finding your way out of Redditch first, before the motorway does any of the work.
Photograph by Jeff Gogarty, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
If you drive: A441 to the M42, if you can find it
The route to take is the A441 north through Hopwood to junction 2 of the M42, then on towards Birmingham and Edgbaston. Once you are on the motorway it is a straightforward run. The catch is getting onto it: Redditch was built as a New Town around a ring of dual carriageways and roundabouts that all look alike, including one of the few full cloverleaf interchanges in the country, where the A441 meets the A448. Visitors routinely miss their turning here. Follow the signs for the M42 rather than trying to read the town centre as a shortcut, and give yourself a few extra minutes the first time.
If you are not driving: start at the terminus
Redditch is where the Cross-City line begins, which is a genuine advantage rather than a detail. You board before the train fills up through Barnt Green and Longbridge, and the whole journey to Five Ways — ten minutes on foot from George Road — is direct: no change, and no need to cross Birmingham on foot. It takes around 30 to 35 minutes, and it is worth booking this way even if someone could drive you, simply because it is the plainer option.
The dilating drops apply whichever way you travel
You will have dilating drops at the first appointment and should not drive home afterwards. Starting from the terminus removes that problem for train passengers rather than just managing it. If you drive in instead, the same rule still applies to you: arrange beforehand for someone to bring you home, or to drop you at the appointment and collect you again once your eyes have settled, rather than assuming you will simply wait it out and drive yourself back.
Sight tests, from Astwood Bank to Bentley
Many Redditch patients are first told about a developing cataract during a routine sight test locally, or on a trip in from one of the villages around the town — Astwood Bank, Feckenham, Hanbury or Bentley. Ask for your prescription history when you book; a record of how it has moved over a few years tells Ms Jiang more than a single reading does.
Getting there
- By train from Redditch
- About 30–35 minutes direct to Five Ways, then a 10-minute walk
- From Redditch town centre by road
- About 35 minutes via the A441 and M42 J2
- From Astwood Bank / Feckenham
- About 40 minutes via the A441
- From Hanbury / Bentley
- About 40 minutes via the A448 and M42
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 Redditch?
Send Ms Jiang’s practice a message and we will come back to you within one working day.