Complex Lens Voucher & Free Eye Tests

[charlie1431]

Hi all,

I posted a similar post a couple of weeks ago so I apologise.

I had an eye test recently and was told it was free under the complex lens scheme. The opticians then rang me to say they had made a mistake and it wasn't free.
It was free last year and my KC has progressed and my vision has worsened so I need new glasses so I can't understand why I have to pay for an eye test.

Lia kindly replied to my last post with a link to the NHS complex lens. I took the info into the opticians and they said they would look into it for me.

I have since had another phone call and have been told to come in and pay.

Can anybody explain why because they can't and I don't understand it? I know it's only a saving of £25 but when your paying out £400 for some new glasses it all adds up.

My prescription is as follows for my right eye as that is the worst:
SPH +2.00
CYL -11.00
AXIS 45

The opticians were suggesting it's because my SPH is not more than 10, does this sound correct?

Many thanks for your help.
Sorry for the long message.
Charlotte

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Charlotte,
The document that covers this in even more detail is this -
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/.../HC1 ... 1.2017.pdf
It's not an easy read(!) but on page 19 it defines a complex lens as one that requires a power of more than + or - 10 dioptres in any one meridian. So although your sphere reading is low, I don't understand why the Cyl of -11 wouldn't qualify you for a free eye test and a (very small) reduction in the cost of your glasses. Perhaps there's an optometrist reading this who could tell us more?

[charlie1431]

Thanks for your reply Anne.
Unfortunately I can't get the link to open is there another one that I can try?

Thanks
Charlotte

[DavidGable]

Try this link; https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default ... 1.2017.pdf

[charlie1431]

Thank you for the link.

I read it as my sight test should be free.

I think I will have to print the info offor and take into the opticians.

Thanks so much for your help
Charlotte

[Anne Klepacz]

Do let us know how you get on.

[Ali Akay]

Hi Charlotte,
I am afraid prescription of +2.00/-11.00x45 does not fall into "complex lens category". The spherical power which is the first number (+2.00) needs to be +/- 10 or more. There's something called "transposition" which means a prescription can be written in 2 different formats. I wont confuse you with this, but, can fell you that if the prescription is transposed, it becomes -9.00/+11.00x135 which is "almost there", but not quite. The 2 prescriptions are identical, its simply a different way of writing it.

However, if the optician first told you you qualified for free eye test as a complex prescription, I think it'd be reasonable to expect them to honour this, if nothing else, as a goodwill gesture, especially as you're spending a lot of money on specs! It seems somewhat petty for them to chase you for £25 as they gave you wrong information in the first place. That's what we'd do in our practice in this scenario.

[Anne Klepacz]

Many thanks for the explanation, Ali, and for putting us right.

[charlie1431]

Thank you for the clarification on this matter & for taking the time to explain it to me.

Charlotte