Recall is the practice's heartbeat
For an independent optician, recall is how most sight tests get booked. The optometrist records a recall interval at each test, perhaps one year for a child or an older patient, two years for most adults, a different interval where there is a specific reason. In theory, the practice management system sends a reminder at the right time. In practice, the recall run is a monthly job someone does when they have time, letters go out in a batch, and patients who ignore them are not chased.
Then a patient comes in with a problem and mentions they had not been reminded, and the record shows they are eighteen months overdue.
Why recalls slip
- The recall run is a manual batch rather than something that happens continuously.
- Some tests record a different interval from the default, and the batch uses the default.
- Letters are still the main channel, which is slow and costly, and many patients prefer text.
- There is no second or third reminder, so one ignored letter ends the process.
- Patients who moved or changed number are never cleaned out, so the list gets noisier.
Contact lens aftercare usually runs on a separate schedule that makes the picture even more confusing, with patients receiving two different reminders a few weeks apart.
What late recalls cost
| Problem | Effect |
|---|---|
| Reminders sent late or not at all | Tests happen later than the optometrist intended |
| One reminder only | Patients who meant to book forget |
| Letters as default | Postage costs and slow response |
| Stale contact details | Wasted reminders and a misleading recall list |
| Separate CL and sight test reminders | Confused patients and two visits instead of one |
Missed recalls mean an emptier test room diary and patients whose care is less regular than the optometrist recommended. They also leave the door open for a chain practice's reminder to arrive first.
How we build interval-based recall
- We read each patient's last test date and the recall interval recorded by the optometrist from your practice management system, through its API or a scheduled export.
- Reminders are scheduled from that interval, not a default, and sent continuously rather than in a monthly batch.
- Each patient is contacted on their preferred channel, text, email or letter, using wording you approve, with a link to book online where you offer it.
- If there is no booking, a second reminder follows, then the patient appears on a call list for reception.
- Where a patient also wears contact lenses, the sight test and aftercare reminders can be combined into one message if your practice prefers.
- Bounced emails, failed texts and returned letters mark the contact detail for checking at the next visit.
- A monthly report shows patients due, reminded, booked and overdue, by optometrist if useful.
We do not set recall intervals. They come from the optometrist's clinical judgement, recorded at the test, and your practice's own policies on eligibility for NHS tests where relevant.
The practice with recall running properly
Reminders go out at the right time for each patient, without anyone running a batch. Patients who ignore the first message get a nudge, and then a call. The diary fills more predictably. And the recall list stays accurate because bad contact details are caught and fixed.
Practices that run domiciliary or care home visits can include those patients too, with reminders directed to the care home or next of kin as your records specify.
Could this be your practice?
- Recall reminders go out in a monthly batch.
- Most reminders are still sent by post.
- Patients receive only one reminder.
- You have patients well overdue who say they were never reminded.
- Contact lens and sight test reminders arrive separately.