UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

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

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?

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

Thanks
Charlotte

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

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

Do let us know how you get on.

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.

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

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

Charlotte