NHS glasses with private prescription - why is it so complicated?

sulkisu

I have been going back and forth between two opticians, while helping a friend to sort out her new glasses and either the opticians are confused by the NHS voucher system or the system is just plain daft.

My friend had an eye test in October 2012. She was a SAHM with husband earning well over the threshold for benefits, and so she paid for the test herself. A few weeks later her husband left and she now receives IS/CB/CTB/CTC as a lone parent to 2 young children. Her glasses broke a few weeks ago and she went to get a new pair from a different opticians to the one that carried out the test. She was told that she would have to go back to the original opticians to obtain an NHS voucher. We returned to the original place only to be told that they cannot issue one as she was not on benefits at the time. The second opticians' say that she cannot get the glasses without the voucher and they cannot simply issue an NHS voucher as they did not do the eye test, even if she provides proof of her benefit status.

So, the solution is that she has had to book an NHS eye test with Optician 2, even though her current prescription is only a few months old, and provide the same proof of her benefit status. They will carry out the test, check her benefits status, issue her with an NHS voucher and then she get her glasses there. So basically it is the exact same process, but with the addition of a new eye test, which as the old one is only a few months old, just seems daft and a complete waste of taxpayers money.

Does this sound right? I should add that these are both well known high street opticians.

[Deleted User]

yes it does sound right,stupid but right

seven-day-weekend

She can't have a voucher from the first optician because she was not entitled to one when they did the test.

The second one can't give her a voucher because they have not tested her eyes.

So, the second optician will have to give her an eye test.

Sounds quite straightforward to me.

nannytone_2

im not so sure that it HAS to be done that way.

ive took a precription to a different opticians and received glasses without any need for a re test

in fact, it was after id had cataract durgery and my eyes had settled.
the previous test had been about 6 months prior, so i wasnt entitled to another free sight test.
instead the hospital tested me, and gave me a prescription that i tool to an optician

fabforty

It does seem a bit silly - the NHS entitlement to free glasses and the prescription should be separate. However, at the end of the day your friend won't have to pay to have the test carried out again, so personally I wouldn't worry about it.

[Deleted User]

nannytone wrote: »

im not so sure that it HAS to be done that way.

ive took a precription to a different opticians and received glasses without any need for a re test

in fact, it was after id had cataract durgery and my eyes had settled.
the previous test had been about 6 months prior, so i wasnt entitled to another free sight test.
instead the hospital tested me, and gave me a prescription that i tool to an optician

this is about the nhs voucher not the test

nannytone_2

and i got a voucher from the optician, but the hospital carried out the eye test as i wasnt eligable for another test for 6 months.

the optician supplied the glasses paid for by the NHS voucher without doing the eye test