Optician wrote out wrong prescription - what should I do? [Archive]

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alison6692

13-01-2009, 9:29 PM

Hello

Firstly - sorry if this isn't the right place to post. Feel free to move mods.

Okay I will try to summarise this.

Eye test in Nov 08.
Couldn't find glasses I liked in the Opticains so took my prescription somewhere else and bought glasses.

Straight away felt something wasn't right. Went back to the place where I got my glasses - they checked and the lenses matched my prescription. I rang the place that did my prescription and was told they had no concerns.
I chased this up with both places and was told it would take a while to get used too.

Have had lots of problems with balance, ground moving, headaches.

Crashed my car - nobody was hurt but drove into the trolley park in Tesco.
Nearly dropped my daughter on the stairs as the stairs felt like they were moving.

Was very concerned. Followed up GP - have been reffered to a neurologist.

Today I found out that the prescription had been written correctly in my notes but incorrectly on the card I take away.

I am so cross and so upset and relieved I am not going mad.

I have no idea what to do - I am going to meet the manager of the Opticians tomorrow. They have agreed to pay for new lenses - I am also thinking of asking them to pay £100 to cover the cost of the tyre that I burst when I crashed the car. I also want them to pay back the cost of the eye test that they made me pay today cheeky !!!!!!s. Do you think thats reasonable?

Thanks Alison x

GlasweJen

13-01-2009, 9:39 PM

this is disgraceful! was it the actual optician who wrote the card or an assistant?

alison6692

13-01-2009, 10:01 PM

Well I thought it was the assistant but the optician told me today that she should have written it as she is legally obliged to write it. I am taking it in for her to have a look at tomorrow.

sillyvixen

13-01-2009, 10:11 PM

was it the copy you were given following your site test?? if so it should have been written and signed by the optician - if you gained a further copy after it may have been written by another member of staff - where i work if asked by a customer to write a copy prescription it is normal practice to get another member of staff to double check what you have written.

alison6692

13-01-2009, 10:16 PM

Savvy_Sue

14-01-2009, 12:30 AM

MOVING THREADS FOR BETTER RESPONSES

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009335#post1009335)) so this post/thread has been moved to the Health board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com (abuse@moneysavingexpert.com).

robin58

14-01-2009, 12:44 AM

I think you should get the cost of the retest either from the optician who wrote the wrong one or claim it back from the NHS.

flossy_splodge

14-01-2009, 1:07 AM

Oh this brings back happy memories!
I also had a sight test, had glasses made up and had exactly same symptoms as you.
Went back to opticians who discovered there was a transcribing error onto the order from the prescription.
Scant apologies but correction made and new glasses ordered.
These 2nd pair turned out to be no better than 1st.
Back I went, feeling a bit as if it simply must be me!
They checked again and said all seemed well but a different optician would do a new test as the previous 'child' (very new graduate) who had done the first one had left and was now backpacking somewhere....
Turned out prescription was just simply WRONG!
So 3rd new pair ordered.
When these came, off I went again relieved that this time they must have got it right.
Yup, you guessed, still felt dizzy, slightly sick etc.
Went back in great trepidation this time thinking maybe I am just so anxious it MUST be me.
The assistant checked the on screen order WITH me and yup, they'd transcribed it incorrectly AGAIN!!
And I was the one who spotted it this time!
So I quietly waited til manager had apologised and said they would expedite the re-order and I said 'and of course I will be getting these at no cost, ie a full refund for all the trouble I've had'.
Yes of course came the reply!
And I did.
So stick to your guns, what they did was DANGEROUS :eek: and if they want to avoid bad publicity suggest they make it worth while for you not to go to the press.
This is just lousy management and unprofessionalism and will only improve if it hurts them, ie in their pockets.
Good luck.:T

alison6692

14-01-2009, 6:26 AM

Thanks for the responses everyone. I will let you know how I get on.

Alison x

GlasweJen

14-01-2009, 6:52 PM

yes, i'm training as an opticial assistant and i never ever ever write out the card, the optician MUST fill in the prescription that you are given away with you!.

alison6692

14-01-2009, 8:20 PM

Thanks Jen - It was written out by the optician. Still no proper as the manager had left by the time I arrived. Travelling on public transport is a nightmare.

Alison x

hardpressed

14-01-2009, 9:41 PM

Make sure you keep the original prescription and give them a photocopy so you have the evidence.

sillyvixen

14-01-2009, 10:55 PM

It was the original that I was given at the time of testing. It is signed and dated so I can confirm with them. The optician thinks it was her error and was very apologetic.
I am not normally the kind of person who would complain but this has been a nightmare for me since Nov - thinking I was going crazy as everyone was so flippant about my symptoms.

Alison x

insist on a recheck - the optician can't be expected to correct the written problem on the prescription through memory- if you have a recheck you are affectively starting again with no cost to your self. the optician will be able to give you a copy of the ammended prescription after a retest and they will be liable to change the lenses to the new prescription at no cost to you (even if made elsewhere) if there is a change to the prescription.
hope you get it sorted quickly.

alison6692

15-01-2009, 6:32 AM

Ray Williamson

15-01-2009, 3:11 PM

tidus

15-01-2009, 3:39 PM

As the optician (or his employee) gave you the wrong prescription the optician (or his employer) is liable to you for all losses, including the recheck which you would not have needed if they did their job properly. Whether this includes the car crash etc might be argued over.
So demand compensation! Sue in Court if you don`t get it.
Complain also to the local NHS Family Practitioner Committee (or whatever they call it nowadays), even if it is not a NHS eye test.
If they do not pay up at once tell the local TV news people how they treated you. They are interested in stories like yours.
Best of luck, Ray.

Bit over the top for a case of human error.... How would you feel if you made an error at work and was threatened with court action? This just isn't serious enough to warrant that, and I doubt anybody would be interested in the press. The NHS would only be interested in the event of an NHS examination, and even then the practice can explain what happened easily enough, they won't take any further action, this kind of thing is unavoidable whenever human beings are involved.

Surely you were not charged for the re examination after the error was found to be theirs? Have they replaced the lenses for you? This is the least they should do. Due to you taking your prescription elsewhere, I doubt they will give you any money, because you spent yours elsewhere. It is likely that the error would have been found more quickly if you had bought from the original optician. I always advise to have your exam at the same place you buy the specs from. Shop around before the examination, not after.

GlasweJen

15-01-2009, 5:53 PM

it's very easy to write a + instead of a - and that screws the whole prescription up, if we order glasses we have another colleague check the order as well just to be sure. I would recommend that the OP requests a whole new eye test though in case the numbers are completely wrong and she ends up getting another pair that don't fit her requirements.

sillyvixen

15-01-2009, 7:51 PM

Thanks SillyVixen - I had a recheck which they made me pay for - and it showed that the new prescription matched their records - but their records did not match the copy they had given me to carry round.

I have been wearing the wrong glasses for 3 months and have tried to tell them something wasn't right and they just passed me off.

Urgh - very cross.

you should not have had to pay for a recheck:mad::mad: somewhere along the line a mistake has been made and the recheck is just clearing up that mistake (ie verifying the prescription you should have) it is in their interests to give you a recheck for free as if they had just changed the lenses and you still had problems they would have had to make them up a 3rd time following a recheck. contact them again and get the cost of the recheck refunded!! they made a mistake it is up to them to cover the costs of putting it right. if you get no joy contact your local primary care trust.

good luck - you should have not paid for this appointment:mad:

alison6692

15-01-2009, 8:48 PM

Thanks everyone. I am not trying to blow this out of proportion at all and I really don't blame the optician. Yes she made a mistake but I am a nurse and I have made mistakes. None of us our perfect. I just feel when I rang back they should of been concerned enough to get me back in - seemingly my symptoms are CLASSIC when they haven't corrected for a stigmatism.

Jen - is this a big error - she wrote 0.25 and it should 1.5 - It feels like a big difference to me.

I still haven't had an answer from them - the area manager called me today and said she will discuss it with her manager and get back to me.

They refunded the examination fee yesterday when I went back in - They didn't even question it and apologised that I had to pay.

Thanks everyone.

Does anyone know when I should stop feeling woozy? I still couldn't drive as I am dizzy.

GlasweJen

15-01-2009, 10:04 PM

0.25 to 1.5 is a big mistake! No wonder you couldn't see, i feel a change when i go up or down a 0.25

sillyvixen

15-01-2009, 10:21 PM

0.25 to 1.5 is a big mistake! No wonder you couldn't see, i feel a change when i go up or down a 0.25

how could anyone have written that down wrong when copying from notes to prescription form!!!!!

alison6692

16-01-2009, 5:57 AM

Jen - Thanks. That number relates to the shape of the lens for my stigmatism not the actual strength if that makes sense. Not sure if thats obvious or not.

alison6692

16-01-2009, 5:58 AM

how could anyone have written that down wrong when copying from notes to prescription form!!!!!

I think its because that is my stigmatisn in my right eye so she just copied that again for the left.

**dancingbutterfly**

16-01-2009, 8:51 AM

hi Alison
i agree, with someone experiencing symptoms like yourself the first thing i would have done is get you in straight away for a FREE recheck.
however at my opticians (an independant) if someone comes in asking for a copy of their prescription any of us can write it out, however it is the optician that must sign it (and check it obviousley)
i hope you get it sorted quickly, it sounds like bad cs to me

**dancingbutterfly**

16-01-2009, 8:54 AM

Jen - Thanks. That number relates to the shape of the lens for my stigmatism not the actual strength if that makes sense. Not sure if thats obvious or not.

quite right alison, this is your 'Cyl' the more extreme (from 0.00) the worse your astigmatism is.

alison6692

16-01-2009, 2:33 PM

Dancingbutterfly - does that mean there was quite a significant difference? or am I just being a drama queen?

Do you have any idea when the dizziness will go?
Thanks x

Still waiting for Tesco to get back to me! Grrrrr

Also is there an Optician Ombusman? ( I am sure I have totally misspelt that).

Thanks x

**dancingbutterfly**

16-01-2009, 7:30 PM

im sorry, im not too sure how extreme this difference would have affected you, but it obviousley has.
same with the dizziness im afraid im just an (overworked) optical assistant so im not much help there im afraid! however im sure theyre is a regulator/ombudsman in optics. i'll have a mooch at work tomorrow!
oh so it was a tesco opticians that done the test? interesting!

alison6692

16-01-2009, 8:31 PM

Why do you sat that? Does Tesco have a bad reputation?

I found an Optician regulator if I need them. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Alison x

**dancingbutterfly**

17-01-2009, 9:00 PM

oh no i havent heard anything bad about them untill now, saying that i havent heard anything about them at all really!
hope it gets sorted for you

kate

duffykatie

27-05-2009, 11:39 AM

Afternoon can i get your opinion on this please

quick run down
i went to D & A for an eye test, was told +1 left and +0.25 right (for all the time I have been having eye tests i have always has a lazier right eye). On the understanding of the prescription (have to assume the optician is right otherwise there is no hope) i purchased some glasses.

when i went to collect them i looked through them and immediately said there was something wrong, they are not right. they said because the '?' has changed to your left eye, which can happen, to give it a few days and try them out. i did and called back saying they were still not right. i was then told to try them for a few more weeks. i gave it a week and told them they are not right. i was then asked to come in for a rest test and instead of +1 my left eye is planar! a prescription too small to warrant the use of numbers!

i am miffed now cause i spent £180 on a pair of glasses i thought i needed, had they got it right in the first place and with a prescription that low i would never have bought them!

does anyone have any idea where i stand with regards getting a refund!?

cheers

kate

alison6692

27-05-2009, 10:09 PM

Kate - I was successful with my complaint. My advice is contact the store manager and get advice. If you don't get the response you want there is a few ideas here on how to complain

http://www.howtocomplain.com/cgi-php/cat_info.php3?MajorID=9&MinorID=5

Good Luck and stick to your guns. I am glad I did.

Alison x