UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Would be interested in other peoples experience...

The optician at the NHS hospital where I'm treated for KC informs me that the NHS will only subsidise hard (GP) of soft contact lenses. As I cannot obtain an acceptable acuity/comfort balance with either of these types of lenses I've been looking at alternatives, hybrids, sclerals etc. Whilst I'm happy to go into the high street (private optician) to try some of the lenses and bear the cost of the consultation/initial prescription, I was hoping that if I found a lens that worked I could go back to my NHS optician and assuming he was able to fit/manage the lens receive some kind of subsidy on future prescriptions.

Specifically, I'm keen to try hybrid lenses and wonder if anyone in the UK is getting these type of lenses subsidised by the NHS?

Assuming the NHS optician is able to manage the type of lens in question, regards subsidy I would have thought the type is irrelevant.

Hi Russell,
There certainly are NHS hospitals which will subidise these types of lenses. The problem is that sclerals, semi sclerals and hybrids are more expensive than the standard corneal rgps and in these austerity times, funding for the more 'specialist' lenses is suffering in some areas. One option would be to transfer to a larger hospital which sees more KC patients and does offer the full range of lenses.
Anne

Hi Anne,

Many thanks for the reply.

Just trying to work out what will be the most suitable larger hospital. I live in Iver, Bucks (about 5 miles north of Heathrow) so by my reckoning that would be Moorfileds or possibly the Royal Berks in Reading.