Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

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jay1993
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Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

Postby jay1993 » Sat 29 Sep 2018 6:42 am

Hey guys I’m looking for some advice on how I’ve been prescribed contact lenses. I was sent to hospital a few months ago after opticians diagnosed me with Keratoconus, the optician at the hospital saw me there after I saw the doctor and said I would benefit from synergeyes contact lenses. In the interim between seeing the optician at the hospital and collecting the contact lenses (which for some reason the optician is having me collect from an opticians shop which he works at on other days) I did some research and it seems the normal nhs practice is to get 2 contact lenses per eye for around £55 per eye ? However as I’m unemployed at the moment it seems the optician has given me 1 contact lens for my worse eye and claimed the full cost of the contact lens on a unemployed nhs claim form type thingy. So what I’m wondering is, has anyone experienced this like this before as I’m worried the optician is going to try and swindle me once I’m in employment. On another note the doctor at the hospital scheduled me for a checkup for progression in 12 months when most people seem to say 6 months is normal so am I within my right to call up and say I want the appointment moved up ?

Thanks for any advice.

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Lia Williams
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Re: Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

Postby Lia Williams » Sat 29 Sep 2018 7:39 am

Hello Jay,

Welcome to the forum.

quote="jay1993"] I did some research and it seems the normal nhs practice is to get 2 contact lenses per eye for around £55 per eye ? [/quote]

The current NHS charge is £57. This is for each lens. If the lens is designed to be replaced at six monthly intervals then they would be charged for the six month replacement, or if someone is prescribed daily or monthly disposable lenses they would be charge every six months per eye.

Lia

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Anne Klepacz
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Re: Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

Postby Anne Klepacz » Sat 29 Sep 2018 8:06 am

Just to add that people on certain benefits (including JSA) are entitled to free lenses so it's right that your lens has been provided free. So have you just been prescribed a lens for one eye and not the other? That is more unusual as far as I know.
The NHS charge is for one lens per eye. If you're getting your lenses through a hospital eye clinic, there shouldn't be a problem getting them at the NHS rate once you're back in employment. All the best with the lens wear!

jay1993
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Keratoconus: No, I don't suffer from KC
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Re: Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

Postby jay1993 » Sat 29 Sep 2018 9:38 pm

Anne Klepacz wrote:Just to add that people on certain benefits (including JSA) are entitled to free lenses so it's right that your lens has been provided free. So have you just been prescribed a lens for one eye and not the other? That is more unusual as far as I know.
The NHS charge is for one lens per eye. If you're getting your lenses through a hospital eye clinic, there shouldn't be a problem getting them at the NHS rate once you're back in employment. All the best with the lens wear!



Hi Anne, thanks for your reply, yes I was just given 1 synergeyes hybrid lens for the left eye as its the worser eye and the optician spoke about possibly getting a supply of daily normal lenses for the right eye.

jay1993
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Re: Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

Postby jay1993 » Sat 29 Sep 2018 9:41 pm

Lia Williams wrote:Hello Jay,

Welcome to the forum.

quote="jay1993"] I did some research and it seems the normal nhs practice is to get 2 contact lenses per eye for around £55 per eye ?


The current NHS charge is £57. This is for each lens. If the lens is designed to be replaced at six monthly intervals then they would be charged for the six month replacement, or if someone is prescribed daily or monthly disposable lenses they would be charge every six months per eye.

Lia[/quote]


Hi Lia, thanks for your post, yes this is what i had read from a lot of people previously on other posts but it seemed to me as though the optician charged the full price for 1 lens on the unemployment claim form (just under £200 i believe it said), so not only do i not have a spare lens in case anything happens to the one i'm using but i worry about what sort of price he's going to tell me it is once i'm back in employment.

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Lia Williams
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Re: Seeking advice about odd contact prescription method

Postby Lia Williams » Sun 30 Sep 2018 10:50 am

jay1993 wrote:but i worry about what sort of price he's going to tell me it is once i'm back in employment.


If you are not paying for the lens now, because of the benefits you receive, I would expect that when you are back in employment you would be paying the NHS rate of £57.

jay1993 wrote:so not only do i not have a spare lens in case anything happens to the one i'm using


Charges for spare lenses are generally unclear. From what I understand most hospitals would charge you the NHS rate of £57 for a spare lens and that there would be no exemptions for spares for people on benefits. For scleral lenses, which are very expensive, I have seen higher charges quoted for spare lenses.

Lia


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