NHS Charges ?

[Richard Godbolt]

Some years ago I switched to the NHS for my eye care and lenses as my private health insurance company would not cover me any longer.

Since then I have had good, free service from the NHS ( albeit getting quick appointments can be a problem and with very limited availability ) and recently changed to piggybacks.These seem to be working pretty well so far except that I have experienced 4 torn soft lenses in the first 4 weeks.

I have just heard from my optician that my replacement lenses are ready for collection but that I have to pay £192 for the two pairs. I am horrified that the NHS apparently has now invoked/imposed this "prescription" charge, particularly as the soft lenses are monthly disposable and will therefore cost me £96 per month for ever!

Have I just been lucky in the past or is this something new and does anyone else have to pay these NHS fees?

Richard

[GarethB]

I only have the Rose K RGP lenses, but they cost £50 each on the NHS, they would be far mor if I had to pay for them. As to how much, they would not say. I now have my lenses coverd on the house insurance! This means they replace them if they get lost or broken.

I wonder if you could get the soft ones coverd too?

Gareth

[Pauline Houke]

Hi Richard,
My understanding of how it works is based on my own personal experiences only:
My optician suspected something wrong so referred me to the local NHS hospital for a diagnosis. My first lenses were issued through the hospital and so i did not have to pay.
I was told that after that, my condition would be "managed" by my high street optician and I was taken of the hospital register and would have to pay for my lenses just like anyone else wearing glasses or lenses.
Unfortunately for me in a short space of time the KC galloped away and my optician had to put me back on the hospital list and I am now going to have a graft. Since I have been back on the hospital register I have not had to pay for my lenses.
I was warned though that if I lost or broke my lenses the NHS would not just keep replacing them for free.

[Dipesh]

Richard,

Something that may be of use to you is the PPC (Pre-paymeny Prescription Certificate). To paint a picture....I recently had a graft in my right eye, as a result I have to put in 4 different eye drops during the day and as a result I need to get repeat prescriptions regulary from the doctor.

Under this scheme, I am entitled to get as much medicine I want a from my doctor or hosiptal until such time I no longer need to take the drops.

To be honest I am not sure this applies to Optoms, but may be worth a try. See some blurb from the PPC;

As quoted by the Precriotion Pricing Authority
"People who have to pay for more than 5 prescription items in 4 months, or 14 items in 12 months, could save money by buying a PPC. From 1 April 2005, the charge for a single prescription item is £6.50, whereas a 4-month PPC will cost you £33.90 and a 12-month PPC £93.20."

Website : http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/ppc_intro.htm

Dipesh

[GarethB]

It looks like the usual NHS lottery!

Some health authoraties give free lenses for KC, others pay a contribution and another lot pay the full wack!

This is not unique to KC, but is also a problem for IVF and Cancer treatment. Sometimes charges can be down to where you live in a particular health authority. My wife and I had our daughter through IVF, if we lived in the next village two miles away (closer to the hospital) in the same health authority, it would have been free. Instead we paid for the whole thing!

The would appear to me no logic, the only way to get things changed would be for us to lobby our local health authorities and local MP's.

Please refrain from taking my coments and turning this to a political discussion. I would however like to hear other experiences and perhaps something extra will be posted to help Richard.

Gareth

[jayuk]

Ive had a mixture of lenses from NHS and Private depending on how fast the KC progresses...sometimes when the wait for Lens Fit is 6months than I go to my Private Optician.

As always, you get what you pay for. If your KC is not that bad and can be managed with glasses / infrequent lens changes then NHS lens fitting is prefect...but when the lens changes occurs more often...as in every 3-6 months and you cannot be seen sooner than Private is an optican

To give a Rose K example...On NHS its £52 and private its £150 a lens with fitting..........so its a kind of personal choice.

[Richard Godbolt]

Hi guys and gals, thanks for the replies. I had no idea about the various charges and in different locations.
Gareth, nice idea about the house insurance, unfortunately I pay an excess of £ 50 per claim so unless I lose/tear more than one at the same time I am on a loser! ( congrats on the IVF by the way)
I guess I will have to ask my CLF why he proposed monthly disposables ( at £100 per time! ) rather than standard soft lenses......
If I can't get this altered I will look at the pre payment prescription certificate or go back to working fulltime ( I recently went part time after being made redundant ) - joke! - thanks for the info Dipesh.

Oh the joys of KC!!!!...........

[Sweet]

Hey there just thought i would add something as well!

I have always paid for all my lenses, whether privately or through the NHS and i found out early on that some places dont! My twin sister who has the condition has never paid for hers and lives in London, whereas i have been in Wales until now and have always paid!! And no before you all think it, lol, i did not move here to get free lenses!! As she is not seen in London for the simple reason that she found out that moving would cost her! LOL!!

No i am not going to say where she attends, but they have the view that we do not wear lenses for vanity reasons but to see and so have opted not to charge their patients. Who pays for them??? Lord knows!!!!!! LOL! But either way there is just as long a waiting list though nowhere near as long as Moorfields!

And as for lobbying for this why not? As with every medical condition and treatment a postcode lottery is nowhere near fair and should be changed.

But this is just my opinion lol so dont quote me on it!!

Sweet