UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi,

I have been told that if I want a scleral lens I will have to go to Moorfields Hospital as the Norfolk and Norwich doesn’t have the funding to help me.

This will involve several trips between Kings Lynn and London.

Does anyone know if I can get government or charity help with the travelling expenses?

Will be interested in any response to this as I am in the same position. I had a first appointment at Moorfields this week and have to go again next week.

Interesting question!

I will do some digging around and get back to you.

Lynn

Hi Simon

You state that you need to go to Moorfields if you "want to" try sclerals, so I am not sure if you've been told you need sclerals or you want to try them as you're unhappy with your current lenses. I work at Addenbrookes where we do fit sclerals on a small scale, but often manage to get good results with other lens types. If its any help, you could seek a referral to Addenbrookes as I'd have thought journey to Cambridge would be a lot easier (and cheaper) than London. If you need to discuss this further feel free to pm me.

If you are on Income Support then you should be able to claim back travel, I forget how you go about it other than you have to choose teh cheapest possible way of getting tehre and get reciepts, I had to do the same years ago when I had pscyhotherapy in Ilkley and live in Leeds..

x

There's a few other benefits that also qualify for a refund of travel costs, such as income based JSA and receipt of some of the tax credits. Full details are at
www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages ... costs.aspx
The way it works at Moorfields is that you take a letter or something that proves you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit, along with tickets you've bought, to the Cashier's office and they can then do the refund. I presume there's a similar system at other hospitals.
I don't think there's any help available for people who aren't on these benefits, but if anyone has found another source, please let us know!
Anne

HI

Yes, having checked with a few people,it appears you can only get travel expenses if you are on benefits.

If you are not on benefits, then, as Ali says, the alternative is to try and look for other lens types. There are only a small number of people who have to wear sclerals as opposed to any other lens type. Also, most hospitals are more familiar with what Moorfields can do than what other hospitals in their own region can do, so it is definitely worth examining being transferred to Addenbrookes.

Lynn

Thats right take your ticket and appointment letter to the cashiers office on the ground floor at Moorfields with proof of your entitlement ie tax credit card and they refund you. Im off today for my pre op assesment, very nervous.

Good luck with the pre op (if you see thus in time) It's nothing major (see the thread last updated 21st April)

Ian