Is there funding available for coloured lenses?

nikkiwilson

Hey, New to all this, but after reading all your posts and gaining a huge amount of useful information, I thought if anyone would know, it would be here.

My daughter has coloured lenses for her learning disablility. Now thinking my son will also need them,

DomRavioli

Do you mean coloured glasses lenses? If so, you'd need to speak to a specialist (such as an ophthalmologist) for a prescription if they are necessary.

nannytone_2

i get a 'medical tint' free of charge because of my medical condition.
if its something you 'choose' then it has to be paid for. if iot is clinically recommended then it can be prescribed

GlasweJen

The medical tint supplement on an NHS voucher (what nannytone was talking about) is for people with photophobia or who need chervase lenses (frosted).

I think you're asking about "tints" for Mears-Irlens syndrome and the answer is not straight forward. The general answer is no, the NHS doesn't recognise MI syndrome (also known as visual stress, sci topic sensitivity syndrome and colour dyslexia) and they say that children with MI can use very cheap coloured pieces of acetate so they don't find the glasses (or expensive custom tints).

In most cases the tests are private which compounds the problem as the results of the test (i.e the prescription) are also private and the NHS as a rule never fund private prescriptions.

But now it gets complicated, in my area (NHS Lanarkshire) the local hospital orthoptics department has started testing for MI, if this assessment is done at the request of the patient or their optician they charge £50 plus the cost of the glasses which they won't incorporate into an NHS frame (so if a child already wears glasses they'd need to have one clear NHS pair plus one private coloured pair which may or may not have the prescription in - you can't claim repairs or replacements of the coloured pair). If the GP refers the test is free and they will tint an existing pair of NHS glasses and will allow for the glasses frame to be repaired on an NHS voucher but not the lenses.

The waiting list for the "free" service is about 6 months long and the hospital only prescribe in extreme cases so 9 times out of 10 the patient ends up going private anyway. There is also talk of scrapping this service which is only available to primary aged kids.


For adult students DSA will fund the glasses but not the test.

For other adults, even those who are on income based benefits and don't pay for glasses, the test is private as is the prescription and it can't be incorporated into an NHS funded pair of glasses.

Hope that helps, feel free to PM me if you need more details - this is what I do for work.

Indie_Kid

nannytone wrote: »

i get a 'medical tint' free of charge because of my medical condition.
if its something you 'choose' then it has to be paid for. if iot is clinically recommended then it can be prescribed

I had to pay for my tint despite a diagnosis of photophobia. The impression I got was I can't have it for free because I chose to have the tint.:mad: Yes, I did choose the tint; but it's either that or suffer migraine.

The photophobia is a common problem with both of the eye conditions I have.

nannytone_2

im not aware that i have 'photophobia'.
i gace retinitis pigmentosa and UV light is known to be detrimental to my condition.
as such, a 'medical tint' is allowed as it blocks UV light

nikkiwilson

thanks for all the info guys, yes my daughter has the tinted ones for her ASD,

GlasweJen

Sorry I should have been clearer - photophobia for an optical tint isn't defined as being sensitive to light but rather that the patient has a condition that will deteriorate if the tint isn't prescribed - macular degeneration is what it is most commonly used for. We can't prescibe to people who get migraine unless they also have a macular problem.

tinkledom

GlasweJen wrote: »

For other adults, even those who are on income based benefits and don't pay for glasses, the test is private as is the prescription and it can't be incorporated into an NHS funded pair of glasses.

Unless I have been missing out on something, but those that are in receipt of a means tested benefit do not get free glasses.


I am in receipt of a means tested benefit and had a free eye test a couple of months ago at Boots.


They gave me a prescription and voucher (code F) worth £82.40.


Given the strength of the lenses needed and thickness, there was no way that the £82.40 would cover the full cost of the new glasses.
I chose a basic £129 bifocal deal that ended up costing me £326 and that was after the £82.40 had been deducted as well as 25% for being over 60.

nannytone_2

if it is a standard lens ( not bifocul/varifocul/need thinning) then there is no cost to anyone on means tested benefit.
the frames have to be paid for, but the vouvjer is given.
i recently had 2 paits of glasses, one with a tint and paid NOTHING

Prinzessilein

I get a voucher for my glasses.


I cannot wear bifocals/varifocals so need two pairs (distance and readers) with complex lenses and a tint.


The last time I went to the opticians (I go every year) I was told I needed new glasses, and the optician handed me over to an assistant who said she would help me choose appropriate frames (I can't simply choose any frames I like - the thickness of my lenses means that some frames are unsuitable) - The voucher covered the cost of both pairs of glasses - I had a choice of about half a dozen different styles - and I could have increased my choice of frame if I was prepared to 'top up' the voucher.


The cost of tints for my lenses is included - as I have a 'prescribed need' for tints.