UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi,

I was diagnosed with advanced keratoconus in one eye, and mild in the other eye, whilst I was abroad, towards the end of last year. I've had crosslinking in both eyes now, and have one RGP lens for the advanced eye, which takes the eyesight from almost useless to quite good. However, my time here is running out and I will be coming back to the UK soon.

So, my question is, how do I go about getting RGP or scleral contact lenses when I come back to the UK?

Should I visit somewhere like Specsavers and explain the situation, and get them to refer me to a hospital? Would I need to provide some kind of proof of the crosslinking?

Generally how long does it take for them to make and deliver new lenses?

I'll be in Cambridge, however I don't mind going to other places if need be.

This is all very new to me, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hello and welcome,
Most of us get our lenses through a hospital eye department and there's an excellent optometrist who has vast experience of fitting KC patients at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. You can ask your GP to refer you or a High Street optician can refer you. Of course, going the hospital route does mean longer waits - it may be a couple of months before you get an appointment so don't delay getting into the system. Alternatively, you could see the optometrist in his private practice - see our list of KC friendly opticians here www.keratoconus-group.org.uk/index.php/ ... ometrists/
I don't think you'd need to show proof of CXL and presumably you have details of your current lens prescription.

You will need to see a High Street optician for a full eye test. This is because hospital contact lens clinics typically only look at the front of the eye. The optician or your GP could refer you to a hospital eye clinic for specialist contact lenses.

Alternatively there are High Street opticians who prescribe contact lenses for keratoconus, although this would not be on the NHS unless you have been referred to them from a hospital eye department. (Some hospitals have contact lens clinics, others don't).

The time taken for contact lenses to be made and delivered depends on the type of lens. Corneal RGPs can take less than a week to be delivered, or up to six weeks, depending on the design of the lens and the manufacturer. Full scleral contact lenses take six to eight weeks to be delivered. Hence it's always worth having a spare pair just in case you lose or break a lens (my spare pair is usually my old pair).

Lia