Eye test (refused to give PD )

bacchuscook

I am on benefit, I have 1 free eye test a year, on the NHS .

I had my test at the Institute Of Optometry

When writing my results I asked the optitian to put my PD (Pupillary Distance) and she said that they do not put it on, unless I am using their services to do my lenses , and that I should check with the stuff in the showroom where I will be given my NHS voucher as well.

The cheapest frame and lenses they had would cost me £25.00 on top of the voucher !!!!

And the guy who wrote the voucher out was not too happy that I took the voucher with me and kept on saying that if I loose it I will not get another one, and that I am responsible for it and that he will put a note in the file that I took the voucher with me !!!! Which was very .........

When I asked the guy in the show room to tell me what is my PD, he refused, stating that it is too much responsibility and that he can not do it unless I am using their services and that I should ask the Dr, but she already told me she will not do it, so I left.


So now I have a voucher which I can not use online to savea bit, or elsewhere, since I do not know what my Pupillary Distance is !!!!

I can't even use it at their centre since with my current situation I can not afford to spend any money, since I do not have any !!!!!!

2 questions:

Can they actually do that ? refuse to state the PD on the result of the eye test, intentionally ?

If not, then who do I contact to report that my eye test was incomplete and request to do another test somewhere else ?


NB
The voucher does not even cover replacing the lenses on my current frame !!!

shelly

I buy my glasses online and leave the PD box blank.

Marty_J

Your Pupillary Distance is the distance between the centre of your pupils in millimetres. You can measure it yourself using a ruler and a mirror (or get someone else to do it for you) by placing the ruler across the bridge of your noise and looking straight ahead.

http://www.onestopglasses.co.uk/faqs/measure-pd-pupil-distance.html

I don't imagine it changes once you're fully grown, so if you have an old prescription with your Pupillary Distance on it, you could perhaps get it from there. I don't think your optician is obliged to supply you with it as part of your prescription (though I would never use one who refused to).

derrick

http://www.onestopglasses.co.uk/faqs/measure-pd-pupil-distance.html

The above link shows you how to measure PD, but you can always use the average of 63mm, as suggested on that and other sites.

There are plenty of sites giving similar info, if you Google pupillary distance

I am afraid the optician is not obliged to supply you with the PD, although some will when asked.

Whoops, I have given the same link as Marty J, well great minds think alike.:D

bacchuscook

Thanks everyone, I thought that PD was a much more delicate measurement then that.

I will send these ppl a complaint letter.

So on to find a cheap online voucher-friendly site,
any links ?

Thanks again everyone.

Crabman

Hi bacchuscook, welcome to MSE :hello:

I've moved your thread to the Health & Beauty MoneySaving Board

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) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

jules85_2

"Technically" they do not HAVE to give you your PD measurement. Usually they don't so you don't go and purchase glasses online.

In regards to your NHS voucher - quite a few of the online stores will accept them, I suggest having a hunt round to find out which ones do.

biggurs

A UK registered optometrist is not obliged to give you your PD unles he/she wants to.
It is traditionally the responsability of the person who is dispensing the glasses to measure the PD.
It is a skilled measurement which if measured incorrectly, the optometrist will be liable for negligent. As a professional person (one that is registered with the General Optical Council UK), the optometrist has certain rules and regulations to abide by.
As it is a professional service, the optometrist is well within their rights to charge for this. Have you noticed that all these sites that make out that your PD is a trivial matter, are NOT allowed to dispense under 16's or those that are are registered partially sighted or blind? That is because it is an important measurement. If you have a particularly strong prescription and your pd is measured incorrectly, you will most likely get headaches, eyestrain and a feeling of being crosseyed.
As mentioned before, if an optometrist measures a pd wrong and you crash your car due to this, then he/she will be liable for negligence. If your uncle measured your pd wrong he wont be. SO THAT IS THE REASON WHY OPTOMETRISTS DO NOT MEASURE THE PD AS PART OF THE PRESCRIPTION. THE PD IS MEASURED BY THE PERSON DISPENSING THE GLASSES and that is why professional optometrists charge more for the glasses. YOU ARE PAYING FOR A SERVICE. You can go back and have your glasses adjusted etc etc. Who wiull adjust your glasses over the internet??? that is why internet glasses are cheaper. THERE IS NO AFTER CARE.

ONE MORE THING....WILL YOU GO TO A TAILOR OR DRESS MAKER AND ASK THEM TO MEASURE YOU UP FOR A SUIT OR A DRESS, GIVE YOU THE MEASUREMENTS SO YOU CAN ORDER THE SUIT OR DRESS OVER THE INTERNET FOR FREE???? OF COURSE NOT, THE TAILOR OR DRESS MAKER WILL CHARGE YOU!

THE SAME APPLIES FOR AN OPTOMETRIST. GIVING YOU A PRESCRIPTION IS ONE THING, BUTTHEY DONT HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE PD MEASUREMENT (which is not part of the eye test..... but part of the dispense) THEN THEY CAN CHARGE YOU FOR IT!

PEOPLE WILL GET THEIR NAILS DONE FOR £50 BUT ARE SO SHOCKED TO PAY £20 FOR AN EYE TEST ONCE EVERY 2 YEARS (WHICH CAN PICK UP ALL KINDS OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS... BRAIN TUMOURS, BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES.......) I FIND IT RIDICULOUS.

ITS YOUR EYES!!!!!!!!!!! THERE'S A TIME AND A PLACE TO BE CHEAPSKATES!!!!!!!

biggurs

and no I am not an optometrist.
(i'm actually an ophthalmologist)

timcrips

I think you can get websites that explain how to measure your own PD. A lot of opticians subsidise the cost of the appointment with the lenses and glasses.... hence them being narked off that you scarperd with thier investment.

BUT I fully understand your money saving initiative

http://www.stingyspecs.com.au/what-is-PD.html
http://www.stingyspecs.com.au/ezine4/ezine4-page4.html

shelly

biggurs wrote: »

You can go back and have your glasses adjusted etc etc. Who wiull adjust your glasses over the internet??? that is why internet glasses are cheaper. THERE IS NO AFTER CARE.

I buy my glasses on the net and Boots are very willing to adjust my glasses should they need it.

Oh and I think your caps lock got stuck on......