stop of supply of contact lens from NHM

[lou]

Hi Vic and Kerrie

I dont get a top up of income support or working family tax credit and im not entitled to hc1 or the voucher because of our income (hubby has a good job).

They told me that i should have been paying for my lenses for the past 10 yrs but ive never been asked for a penny plus i didnt know i had to pay if i knew that i would have paid (when asked to) but they can sod off if they think they are having 10yrs worth of payments.

Thanks for all advice

luv

Emma xxx

[Andrew MacLean]

I know that the situation varies in different parts of the United Kingdom, but my own experience of being given lenses by a hospital clinic was that I paid for one pair each year (unless I had lost or broken one, in which case I paid at the NHS rate of about £45 a lens for the replacement). If my prescription changed, or of the fit had changed within the year, subsequent lenses were issued free. I always paid only the NHS rate for lenses.

I'm sorry if this muddies the waters.

Andrew

[kerrie trim]

Hi

Thank you for the warm welcomes. I do have KC, I use soft perm type lenses with lots of difficulty and pain at best, and just have to give up on them at worst! I seem to have lots of sensitivities to go with the allergies so it's not easy to get on with lenses. I'm now having a new thing of repeated corneal ulcers so I'm completely without lenses for a bit - I was thinking about starting a topic for advice on this as I'm getting conflicting answers from profs involved - see you there?!
Kerrie

[Andrew MacLean]

kerrie

Was looking for your new string ... not up yet?

All the best

Andrew

[mike scott]

hi kerrie
big welcome to the group

already some very useful information, so to add a little if i may

benefits aside, how much actually counts as "low income" . what is the threshhold and then what would be the process?

mike

[mike scott]

hi andrew

your experience of paying for lenses is the same as mine. have always paid approx £50 per lens per year , then changes in prescription or fit have always been issued to me free of charge as ongoing treatment.
this is at MREH. thank heavens too because some 15 yrs ago the MREH actually referred me to private and i was paying £300 per pair that long ago
fortunately for me lens technology and experience moved on a pace and i was able to go back into the nhs system a few yrs back

what are other peoples experiences?
mike