Despite all this we are better off than most of Europe who not only have to pay full price for lenses, but like us pay for the solutions but they in some countries have to pay for the onsultation to.
As we have an NHS system and our taxes go to funding it, I do think we need subsidising on lens solution, my lens solution costs are down 66% simply due to the different type of lenses I am on and they are better for me. Includng the NHS fee for my lenses, RGP's cost me over £1000 (includes eye drops I needed for dry eye caused and extra saline). The Kerasoft IC lenses cost just over £300 so this is where it becomes hard to understand how much do we subsidise. For me the answer is simple in that we are entitled to what is required to give us a quality of life.
It was explained to me that with our lenses and solutions we are treated the same as people with hearing aids. The aid we need for a particular sense is subsidised, but the maintenance isn't. Hearing aids are serviced by the hospital every now and then and the hospital will get our lenses cleaned/polished free of charge. However the wearer of a hearing aid must pay for the battery to be replaced which is a DIY job using a battery from boots for no more than a pound (75p for my Grans hearing aid last time a changed the battery for her) and cleaning our lenses is no different
The principle may be no different but the cost certainly is.
