Glaucoma in parents - free eye tests?

[Bogof_Babe]

I've just read on another forum on this site that apparently if one of your parents has glaucoma then you should be entitled to free regular eye tests.

My mother didn't know she had glaucoma until a social worker read out a referral from her GP yesterday (she has many other health problems, but was unaware that glaucoma was on her records).

As she is a pensioner, she doesn't pay for eye tests anyway, but I pay for them, and am now wondering whether I should not have been. It was £22 for my last one, which I am quite annoyed about if I should have had it free.

Also, is it down to the GP who's list the glaucoma sufferer is on, to ensure that the person concerned knows to let their offspring know? It all seems a bit hit and miss to me.

[littlereddevil]

over 40 for free test

[littlereddevil]

Eye specialist also told me to make sure my children know about it as he says it often skips a generation ( it is my mother who has it)

[Bossyboots]

My OH gets free tests as his mum has this.

[calleyw]

My husband gets free eye test because his dad had Glaucoma and he is over forty.

He is only nearly 44 and not had test done in years. Told him that as he does not have to to pay he should go more often. But men :rolleyes:

It is if you mother was not aware she could not have informed you. But the thing is if she does have Glaucoma I thought you had to take drops. As my late fIL did. As well as looking like a croupier from an old western saloon. As he wore a green shield most of the time.


Yours


Calley

[loopylass]

my mum has very little eyesight due to this and i have eye tests every few years i know as soon as im 40 i get it for free but i would urge anyone to have eye tests done because my mum lost the sight in one of her eyes quite quickly and nearly lost it in the other one now she has good days and bad days from the remaining eye sometimes she cant see at all but after 3 years she coping with it and lead a happy life

[Bogof_Babe]

Calleyw it was your post on Old Style that prompted me to ask the question. I am wondering if they got something wrong about mum, as she doesn't use drops or anything, and just has the normal range of specs that any 91 year old carts around!

I am well over 40, so I might follow this up before my next test is due. Trouble is, would patient confidentiality prevent her GP from confirming to me whether she has it or not? :confused: Her GP is in the same practice as mine, but whether they are allowed to discuss other patients' records, even with a good reason, might be a sticky point.

The thing is, I would be dealing with the High Street optician, not the surgery, so I don't know how information gets passed between the two. Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained ;) .

[Sofa_Sogood]

Also, is it down to the GP who's list the glaucoma sufferer is on, to ensure that the person concerned knows to let their offspring know? It all seems a bit hit and miss to me.

I'm not sure if it helps Bogof_babe but my late Mum had glaucoma.

When I had an eye test at Boots, I think it asked on the forms that people fill in whether there was any history of glaucoma in the family, so I obviously said there was. My daughter (who's under 40 but might have been a student at the time, also received the eye test free - maybe because we went to Boots at the same time?)

But I was never asked what my Mum's name was, who her doctor was, so how they worked out I was eligible I don't know.:confused:

Could you ask for a refund retrospectively? (Hope that makes sense)

[calleyw]

Calleyw it was your post on Old Style that prompted me to ask the question. I am wondering if they got something wrong about mum, as she doesn't use drops or anything, and just has the normal range of specs that any 91 year old carts around!

I am well over 40, so I might follow this up before my next test is due. Trouble is, would patient confidentiality prevent her GP from confirming to me whether she has it or not? :confused: Her GP is in the same practice as mine, but whether they are allowed to discuss other patients' records, even with a good reason, might be a sticky point.

The thing is, I would be dealing with the High Street optician, not the surgery, so I don't know how information gets passed between the two. Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained ;) .

I can see your point if they are not giving her treatment for it does it mean that she actually has glaucoma or they where just referring her for further tests. The only thing I can suggest and that is you get her to ring the practice and get confirmation that they believe that she needs to be referred for test for glaucoma. Not sure what else you can do.

I had no idea if the optician needed a dr's note or anything to get a free eye test. So a few weeks ago I popped in and asked an optician and the answer I was given was

They do no checks as it is not possible. With out writing to the dr's and I assume they don't have the time or would be able to get the info due to patient confidentiality. And as my FIL is now dead I would assume the practice had now sealed his records and maybe even destroyed them. I don't know.

So it is all about being truthful and they don't make checks.

Is you mother due to go to hospital for test if so go with her if you can.

I am not sure what else to suggest you can do.

Yours

Calley

[Bogof_Babe]

Good suggestion Sofa_sogood (brilliant name!), but it was about June last year, and the only reason I went was to get a referral via my GP for a cataract op, which I successfully had in December, so I mustn't really grumble. Bargain really, to get my full sight back! :)

I will mention it next time I'm due for a routine test though, and see what happens.

[Bogof_Babe]

Calley, thanks for the reply. Tbh I think in my mum's current state of health her eyesight is the least of her worries. No-one has suggested she has any further assistance in that area, which makes me wonder whether they consider her a bit of a write-off. Don't mean to be unkind but at 91 they might feel there isn't a lot of point.

When I see her on Friday I'll have a chat as to whether she feels she needs her eyes investigated.

(OMG I'm in shock, Linda Smith the comedienne has just died. She was one of my all time favourites. Sorry, forgive me for going off topic but this is dreadful news.)

[Sofa_Sogood]

Good suggestion Sofa_sogood (brilliant name!), but it was about June last year, and the only reason I went was to get a referral via my GP for a cataract op, which I successfully had in December, so I mustn't really grumble. Bargain really, to get my full sight back! :)

I will mention it next time I'm due for a routine test though, and see what happens.

I've just remembered something else Bogof_babe ...

My sister had been in touch with the Glaucoma Association, and had put my name on their mailing list (I think...my memory's really hazy lately) and I recall getting some mailshot from them. So I probably could have provided proof if asked.

It might be worth your while to register? I'm not sure how she did it, but it won't have been online ...

Congratulations re the success of the op :)

[calleyw]

Calley, thanks for the reply. Tbh I think in my mum's current state of health her eyesight is the least of her worries. No-one has suggested she has any further assistance in that area, which makes me wonder whether they consider her a bit of a write-off. Don't mean to be unkind but at 91 they might feel there isn't a lot of point.

When I see her on Friday I'll have a chat as to whether she feels she needs her eyes investigated.

(OMG I'm in shock, Linda Smith the comedienne has just died. She was one of my all time favourites. Sorry, forgive me for going off topic but this is dreadful news.)

Good Idea.

Yes I was rather shocked when husband came in and told me she has died. She was funny and will missed by me.

Also Dennis Weaver of Gentle ben fame died today.

Take care Bogof_Babe.

Yours


Calley

[photome]

My Dad has glaucoma, and I being over 40 get free eye tests, as others have posted, it was just a case of telling the opticians that my father had glaucoma and signing the form to get it done free.

I believe you are only entitled to a free test every two years unless the optician tells/asks you to come in more often, because of the severity of my dads and the fact my brother has had it diagnosed when he was 34 ( to early a stage to treat though), i go every 12 months and so far 20/20 vision.

[apples1]

You are entitled to a free eye test every two years if you yourself have glaucoma or you are over 40 and a direct family member (i.e parent, child, sibling) has glaucoma. If your optician requests less than two year interval you would qualify to be tested more often.

The NHS system works on trust so you don't have to prove that the family member has glaucoma but you sign a form (GOS1) given to you in the opticians declaring your entitlement to a free sight test & obviously if you lie its fraud! This applies to the other reasons you would qualify for a free sight test which are:

Considered at risk of glaucoma (by your GP). This is separate category to above
Diabetes (self only)
Complex prescription (over + or - 10 Dioptres)
Under 16
Aged 16, 17 18 or 19 and in full time education
Claiming income support, working family tax credit, pension credit, job seekers working allowance
Over 60


Just for info (relating to earlier posts on this thread) - not everyone would use drops to control glaucoma as it can be treated with surgery in certain cases. Cataract surgery can often remove glaucoma as a larger anterior segment space becomes available.

HTH

[Sofa_Sogood]

You are entitled to a free eye test every two years if you yourself have glaucoma or you are over 40 and a direct family member (i.e parent, child, sibling) has glaucoma. If your optician requests less than two year interval you would qualify to be tested more often.



Not sure if it's relevant, but I had 2 free tests within a few months after a doctor told me to see an optician because of headaches. Boots rang the relevant health department (can't remember which dept.now - my memories shot today ;))

[Sheel]

Same experience for me as a couple of other posters . My late Mum had glaucoma so I get free eye tests and have never been asked for any proof. Don't remember signing a GOS1 form , but I may have done and forgotten as i'm well over 40 http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/icons/icon11.gif http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/icons/icon10.gif

[Sofa_Sogood]

Same experience for me as a couple of other posters . My late Mum had glaucoma so I get free eye tests and have never been asked for any proof. Don't remember signing a GOS1 form , but I may have done and forgotten as i'm well over 40 http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/icons/icon11.gif http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/icons/icon10.gif

I might have done the 2nd time Sheel, though I don't remember. Just lately I don't remember much though :confused: :)

Let's hope people don't see it as a grabbit though :o

[calleyw]

Just for info (relating to earlier posts on this thread) - not everyone would use drops to control glaucoma as it can be treated with surgery in certain cases. Cataract surgery can often remove glaucoma as a larger anterior segment space becomes available.

HTH


Possibly not the only treament but would have thought it was one of the most common treatments that is used.


Not done much research on the subject but know that was my late FIL's treatment.

Yours


Calley

[Sofa_Sogood]

Possibly not the only treament but would have thought it was one of the most common treatments that is used.


Not done much research on the subject but know that was my late FIL's treatment.

Yours


Calley

If it helps, I only know what happened with my Mum. She was in hospital for weeks ... just having drops put in. The eye that was affected was eventually removed.

So it could be that if the damage is so widespread, the eye will be extracted anyway but hospitals will prevent the inevitable?

Personally, and only because of what happened to my Mum, I thought the drops were so important that she had to be hospitalised to make sure they were given. If anyone had asked, they'd have realised that she had a family large enough,and intelligent enough, to apply the drops for her. :confused:

She ended up spending months in hospitals, and losing her eye anyway ...

I can't figure out why any of that happened, but can only say how important it is to look after your eyes, whatever the cost, as other people here have told me.