UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

What’s your average bill a month for contact lenses?
What do you pay for solutions?

I thought it would be beneficial at all KC lenses wearers to have an idea if we are paying the correct amount for our “stuff” and if there was somewhere which offers value for money as I’m finding it more and more expensive to keep up with the prices.
Maybe it’s because of where I live?
Just wondering what everyone else pays
Thanks

Morag

I think this will vary, so it might be difficult to spot a median cost. However, there are several financial costs to KC in my case: the lenses, solutions and other peripheral items.

My lenses cost about £50 each through the NHS, and I have had to replace 2 this year, so say £100 pa.

I renew my solutions every 3 months at around £40 each time, so £160 pa

I have had other costs such as needing a decent set of sunglasses, which I managed for about £40 but could cost in excess of £100. I wouldn't include these however, since most people who can afford to, own a pair of sunglasses.

Because my job demands a high va, my kind employer pays for my lenses and solutions. So my personal cost is negligible but I am in a minority.

Thanks so much for your reply I do realise that everyone will be different but its good to see an average
I wear glasses and two different types of lenses plus really good quality sunglasses and a baseball hat
The lenses alone are about £20 a month – I have one monthly wear and one fortnightly wear
The solutions are a multi cleaner – about £10.00 month
Saline - £3.00 a bottle roughly
My prescription glasses about £130.00 change roughly the lenses every 12 months pending on how things are
But thanks for that I thought it might be useful to see who costly KC is to us all
Cheers
Moarg

Since last November, when I found out I have KC, I have had 2 pairs of glasses at around £250 each, 3 Rose K lenses £50.50p each, my lens cleaner is an all in one and costs around £10 a month, saline is £3 from tesco and I was buying eye drops/fake tears at around £5 per week, Now get minims from the gp.

i dont wear my lenses often so i dont spend alot on saline and solutions though i change my solutions every 3 months. i use boston advance cleaner and conditioning solution which are about £6 each, saline £3, aquify £6 & systane £6.....about £30ish every 3 months. My lenses are free as I'm still in full time education and get them fron the hospital but solutiopns i buy.

I've read posts here where people buy on-line and that post-optics are "sensible"!

This is great thanks for al your info
I would like to look into what help we can have if any as KCers
So I will let you know how I get on
Cheers
Me

Morag - The current Department of Health guidelines for England and Wales are that anyone with a clinical need for contact lenses (which, of course, includes many KC-ers) is entitled to get these through the NHS at hospital eye clinics. Those clinics which don't have their own contact lens departments should issue a voucher which can be taken to a contact lens practictioner so that the lenses can be provided at NHS prices. The NHS price goes up every year and is currently £50.50 per lens. As far as I know, most hospitals do follow these guidelines but the KC Group would be very interested to hear from anyone going to a hospital eye clinic who isn't being offered lenses at the NHS rate. (We recently heard of 2 hospitals in the NW which were trying to invent their own rules).
The DH guidelines also state that the provision of contact lens solutions on prescription is an integral part of the treatment for those with a clinical need for contact lenses. This means that eye clinics should also be supplying these solutions on prescription but as far as we know, hardly any of them do. Marian, who organises the West Mids KC Group, has taken this up on behalf of the Group. We'll let everyone know if her campaign results in any changes, but it is so far proving a bureaucratic nightmare! And of course, all NHS Trusts are currently trying to do everything to save money and refusing to fund all sorts of treatments for sight threatening and even life threatening conditions. So it's not an easy time for anyone.
Anne

I was a bit surprised to hear that there is normally an NHS charge for supplying lenses for KC patients.
I have regular check-ups in the optometry dept of my local hospital (Exeter) who supply me with new lenses as and when needed, but they don't charge me anything at all for them. Until 4 or 5 years ago they used to charge £10 per lens but stopped charging, apparently because it wasn't worth all the admin of issuing/chasing bills etc.
But the hospital has never suggested supplying solutions free of charge, so perhaps I should ask them - or on second thoughts that might be pushing my luck.

Nick

Thanks to everyone who replied
I feel that something needs to be done; as it is very expensive for all suffers whatever stage they are at.
I feel that the campaign should be made more public? Maybe get the media involved make people aware, get someone in the public eye to support and help us move on this
Why should we have to pay so much?
If you work you don’t qualify for the “£50” is that correct? So if you earn just above the criteria you have no help?
I have struggled to meet the costs every month. I asked at the hospital but they looked at me blankly so ?????????????????????????????
If we could get our solutions on prescription that would be fantastic as far as I see it (especially if you have had a graft it would help the campaign) you need the lenses to correct your vision after the op/ lenses are part of the process of KC therefore the solutions are part of the process too??
What do you think?
Am I wrong?
Morag