Lens options

[kieran19685]

How can I go about obtaining a different type of contact lens ?

Current wearing RGP's which give me good vision however I suffer from dry eyes and contacts especially at work can get uncomfortable and hard wearing on the eyes.

Went to a recent appointment and was in and out on 10mins they told me vision is good and no Changes. Apparently they only offer RGP's and other lens such as hybrid lens are bad for the eyes.

Would the option of going private open up different avenues for contacts ?

[Grant]

Personally I would persevere with the NHS. My local team "only" did RGPs and I've had RGPs, Kerasofts and piggybacks through them. I explained that RGPs really weren't working for me and I would really like to try Kerasofts and later on piggybacks as the combination of the comfort of softs and RGP acuity seemed like a win/win to me. Being open, honest, and most importantly friendly with all of the team goes a long way to keeping everyone happy and getting what you're looking for.

I also find a taking box of chocolates in for the staff every other visit or so helps enormously

[kieran19685]

Thanks

I did ask for Kerasoft lens etc but was told that they do nothing but RGP's

[Grant]

In that case I would maybe ask if they would refer you to somewhere that can offer them?

[CrippsCorner]

Be aware of the massive price differences between NHS and private... £108 per year Vs £350-400 per set.

[Daniel]

I would definitely consider asking for a referral elsewhere, if what you are currently receiving is not acceptable.

I was having issues with scleral lenses, I said that I wasn't happy and to be honest, they caused me a world of pain (to be honest, I didn't really persevere with them, but to me, a contact lens that I could barely get in/out wasn't worth the pain).

When referred elsewhere, I was fitted with a set of Duette HD lenses - the difference was amazing, the comfort, the level of vision - in both eyes I could read the bottom line of the chart - and this was with the fitting lenses - and no adjustment to the prescription. They arranged for a set to be ordered, which I was chuffed with. The icing on the cake was that they let me take the fitting lenses home free of charge that day, as they apparently throw them out anyway.

Asking for a referral elsewhere was the best thing I did.

[kieran19685]

Thanks - a referral to another NHS hospital or somewhere private?

Im not bothered about the cost just want comfortable lens

[Lia Williams]

NHS hospital or private?

That's not an easy question to answer.

Cost is one thing. Going privately it is not only the cost of the lenses but also that of the appointments. However it is likely that the appointments would be easier to obtain so you could have a new pair of lenses within a matter of weeks.

But you would need to find someone who was experienced in complex cases and has a large selection of lenses to choose from. When I was buying a new lens case at a local opticians I asked the optometrist if she fitted lenses for KC, she did, but as soon as I mentioned that I was going through a lengthy refit she confirmed, what I suspected, that I was better off at the hospital as not only did they have my records but they also could spend more with me. Certainly my hospital appointments have varied from a few minutes, when things are going well, to well over an hour when I've been sent back to the waiting room a few times to let another lens settle.

So in my case, if I were to go private, I would need to find someone who specialised in complex cases rather than someone is able to fit a few KC cases.

If you are considering going private it would probably be worth asking a few opticians whether they fit complex cases, what their costs are and what types of lenses they fit.

Good Luck,

Lia

[Daniel]

In my case, I switched from an optician that was subsidized by the NHS, to an NHS hospital.