40 years of excellence in eye care 

This summer David Burghardt Vision Care will complete its fourth decade of providing innovative eye care and clinical excellence for patients.

The independent, private optometrists’ practice has been established in Nettleham in the heart of the village on Church Street for most of those years. The former cottages have been remodelled as the practice has expanded its client base, and also the range of diagnostic services.

“Period buildings can present their challenges,” said David Burghardt, “but this location has proved to be a tremendous asset for the business. The premises underwent a radical refit and extension seven years ago to reflect the expertise and sophistication of services offered by the practice.” 
 
Patient journey 
The refit was part of the improvements to the patient experience when they visit David Burghardt Vision Care. Practice Manager and Dispensing Optician Richard Spencer, who has recently celebrated his tenth anniversary with the practice, has seen the benefits this innovative remodelling produced.

He said: “A contemporary, harmonious and accessible space across the ground floor was the brief given to our builders and interior designer. The circular flow they devised created a ‘patient journey’ to all the practice’s services; from entry to the welcoming reception area, to three new consultation rooms and areas to showcase frame collections. Two imaging suites were built to the rear of the building accessed via a glass atrium.

“The result was seamless access to all the practice’s services – from greeting, to consultation, diagnosis and dispensing.

diagnostic services and treatments which is another benefit of the investments which have been made.”  
 
Celebrate with David Burghardt 
As part of the anniversary celebrations, an Open Day will be held on Saturday 14th June from 10am to 4pm. Whether you are an established or potential new client this is the chance to enjoy this open-door event. Four leading frame brands will be attending with exciting new designs, as well as a colour analysis advisor to enhance the styling experience.

There will also be food and drink and the chance to chat with David and the other members of the eight strong, award-winning team. They look forward to welcoming you on the day. 

WHAT’S IN A NAME? 
While David Burghardt’s roots are firmly established in Lincolnshire, he is asked, periodically, the derivation of his surname and it is a story which reflects the experiences of many émigrés who made the UK their home.

Kindertransport
David’s father and aunt, Hans and Suzi, came to the UK aged seven and nine respectively on the Kindertransport scheme, set up by the British Government to relocate predominantly Jewish children at risk of Nazi persecution prior to WWII.

“My father was settled with a family in Lincoln while my aunt lived with a family in Grantham,” David explained.

“They both thrived here with my aunt becoming Head Girl at Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, the year after Margaret Thatcher. My father’s career began as an apprentice engineer at Ruston & Hornsby, a company he stayed with all his life and he retired as a senior engineer. In the 1970s, he led the restoration project of one of the first Ruston’s cars built in Lincoln in the 1920s. After the war my grandmother also settled in Lincoln and worked as a midwife. My grandfather had been a successful international footballer in Germany and even hired a plane to bring him to a match in 1919. He eventually left Germany, joining the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.”
 
Family emporium 
David has researched his family’s German roots which were in Halle, near Leipzig. The Burghardts were owners of a long-established kitchen emporium and were prosperous citizens in the community. This asset was stripped from them by the Nazis and their lives went in many different directions. While Hans and his sister were resettled in the UK and their parents escaped Germany, other members of the family perished in the Holocaust.

David’s mother’s family were originally farmers from Langrick, Boston. “My great grandfather who farmed on the Burton estate, near Lincoln was also a lay preacher and had strong views about family. He fathered sixteen children with his first wife and after her death, a further two with his 19-year-old second wife and apparently was still preaching and riding a bicycle when he was over 90.”

Role models
David attended Waddington Primary School and North Kesteven School and feels that throughout his life he had not only the role models of his parents and teachers but also that of his uncle, Stan Bett, who was involved with the Lincoln Coop and gave David encouragement. Stan was friends with Johnny Campbell, who played for Lincoln City but was also a pharmacist and optician. He noticed David’s love of science and nature and encouraged him to pursue optometry.

“We still have an association with Lincoln City as one of their sponsors and, when required, we perform vision assessments for team players,” said David.

That is the background of the Burghardt name, which David is proud to promote through his own successful business.

TAILORED TREATMENTS AND CLINICAL EXPERTISE 
Advanced diagnostics and treatments are a major benefit for patients attending David Burghardt Vision Care.

Optimum quality  
Patients book to come to the practice either by private appointments or through referral by the NHS.

David is an independent prescriber of medicines too, so the practice has the expertise to provide fast and efficient services to recommend the best solutions for each person. “We aim to eradicate sight problems or manage a complaint to ensure the optimum quality of sight possible for the individual,” said David.

“Sight is so vital to maintain a good quality of lifestyle. Receiving prompt, correct diagnosis and tailored, effective treatment plans can be the difference between maintaining and losing vision.”  

Another important innovation that was introduced following the pandemic is a subscription service for eye care which ensures regular appointments and a range of exclusive benefits which may include emergency care, accidental damage cover for spectacles and invitations to VIP events.  
 
Outstanding service 
“Customers definitely find the practice pleasurable and convenient to use with free parking and a central location,” continued David. “The shift in recent years has been in advanced diagnostics for conditions such as dry eye and macular diseases. The practice delivers Intense Pulsed Light and Low Level Light Therapy to treat dry eye and reflects the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to halt the impact of eye disease.” 

Other innovative technology includes Optomap, a 200-degree, ultra-high definition retina scanner to image the back of the eye.

The Triton OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) instrument is like an MRI scanner which reveals information about the layers both at the front and back of the eye, and enables the optimisation of tailor-made lenses for the best vision and comfort. 
 
Award winners 
The staff at David Burghardt Vision Care were named Practice Team of the Year at the Optician Awards 2024, reflecting the overall excellence of their expertise and customer service. The practice goes above and beyond for patients, making styling and dispensing a pleasurable experience. Younger patients, including babies and children with myopia, are another area of specialisation and the practice runs a Down’s Syndrome Dispensing Clinic to ensure optimum eyesight for all their younger patients.

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