Lenses options

[ste86]

I currently wear gas permeable lenses and wear these approx 15hours a day, i clean with basch and laumb solutions, but recently i got a glasses paid £200 and the prescription is already wrong, frustrating as i got an eye infection so still had to wear lenses, very sore. I have been reading about the other members wearing soft lenses are these available on the NHS? or would i have to seek these out private? i am currently under a specialist in Liverpool Royal hosp.

Thanks
Steven

[GarethB]

I was lucky enough to be involved with Ultravisions R&D development of the Kerasoft IC lenses and they give me far more comfort than RGP lenses, as I could only wear mine for up to 8 hours. The Kerasoft Ic gives me better vision tan the RGP's, now get 6/4 rather than 6/5 and wear them for up to 19 hours per day, sure I could go longre if I could stay awake!

The R&D program I was on finsihed when the lenses were launched in November 2009 and I told my hospital at my last visit in February. The hospital now provide me with the lenses for the standard NHS rate. I do know of hospitals who have said they won't provide the lenses so patients have gone private and at their next hospital appointment go with their new soft lenses at which point the hospital took over the provision.

Other hospitals have said the soft lenses are too expensive, but there can be long term savings for the hospital with respect to some patients. In my case while wearing RGP lenses I would be visiting the hospital every month, sometimes I could go to 3 months but this would be interspresed with trips to eye casualty because of the problems I had with RGP lenses. Now my visits have ben cut to every 12 months and in the nearly 18 months of soft lens wear I have had no reason to visit eye casualty. Therefore the overall cost to the hospital of managing my eye care is much reduced.

Regards

Gareth

[electricheadx]

What type of RGP lens are you wearing currently?