Quicktopic posts: Feb 2003

[Sue Ingram]

Hi Dave (1428), I have attended Moorfields Eye Hospital in London for over 25 years and been lucky enough to always get my lenses on the NHS - as Janet says, they cost £40 each now. I am not sure if it is still the case, but at one time if you needed another lens within a year of having paid for a new one, then you got any new ones free. But this would have to be checked out.

If you get your lenses on the NHS, you should also be able to get all your contact lens solutions on prescription. This is normally a prescription issued by the hospital concerned and can only be used at the hospital pharmacy, but I believe there are some people who visit this site who have managed to get prescriptions from their own GP now.

I believe you have to be referred by your GP to a hospital in order to get the above, but it often takes a few months to get an appointment. This would probably be worth you doing due to the fact that you have your new lenses now and can hopefully cope for a while until you can get yourself into the system. Good luck and let us know how you get on if you try it.

Glad you have got your lenses and hope they are successful for you. Enjoy seeing the world in a different light! Take care. SUE

[Dave]

Thanks guys for the replies!
First a quick question about my new lenses. The vision to my left and right is poor through them, as if the lenes is not moving with my eye and I am looking through the 'skirt' as appose to the centre 'hard' lens area? Anyone else experience this, or is there a problem here?
I visted a hospital consultant who referred me back to my optician!! I guess that if I ring the consultants receptionist I may get 'back on his books' so to speak. He never mentioned any contact lenses from the NHS at my one and only appointment, and like you say if I get in there now, again I may be ready for my next pair when the appointment comes round?

Thanks again,

Dave.