Advice on how to effectively complain? Specsavers wrong.

LplateSaver

tidus wrote: »

What I don't understand is why are you continuing to mess around with Specsavers. Get them to give you a copy of your last prescription and go elsewhere. Surely that's easier than trying to argue with them - they believe what they are telling you is correct.

Hi I was told by them (specsavers) that only the optician who did the test can issue the voucher which is why I travelled to the branch I had the test with (not my local), is this not true?

tidus

The NHS voucher does not have to be issued by the Optician who performed the eye examination. You should be able to go elsewhere with your prescription and get the voucher issued where you are getting your glasses from.

However......

This is another area where you will get different answers due to lack of firm NHS guidance. Generally the NHS voucher is issued after the NHS eye examination by the original Optician, and many assume this means the voucher has to be issued by the same person (or at least same practice) as performed the examination, just because this is usually what happens.

Ned are you still reading? Can you confirm this for me?

nedmundo

Any practice can issue the voucher, although we would normally ring the local NHS just get their permission beforehand. I'm sure if you went t another practice with your prescription and explained the situation, they would do what they can to help.

vixen1500

Whenever you have an eye test they give you a new prescripton but can I check if I need new glasses?

Also had 2 tests done and results different

celeste110

In mid Nov 2014, I went there to get a pair of new glasses because my power had changed. Shortly after, I went back to obtain new contact lenses prescription. I would have thought that having done a thorough eye check for glasses prescription, getting new contact lense prescription would be a breeze. However, this was not the case. I was told that I need an appointment for an eye check, followed by an appointment to wear my trial lenses, and finally a follow up appointment for eye check to ensure that lens fit well even though I had emphasised that I am a season contact lens user. Also, it was not helping that the appointments slots they offered were very spaced out. Between end Nov 2014 and now ie 20 Jan 2015, I managed only 2 of the 3 appointments. The third one was supposed to be on 20 Jan 2015, however, prior to the appointment time itself, they moved the appointment forward by 15mins without confirming it with me. And when I arrived, they refused to serve me and accused me of being late. They requested me to book another appointment, and the next earliest appointment they had was in Feb 2015. This is atrocious service in my opinion. If I were in Singapore, I could have walked in to any optician and obtained my contact lenses prescription in less than an hour. I am never going back to Specsavers after this.

nedmundo

In fairness - Celeste, by issuing you with a specification for contact lenses, they become legally responsible, should anything go wrong. Therefore, they have every right to ensure that the lenses are satisfactory in terms of vision, comfort, fit and ocular reaction before issuing you with a prescription.

The rules are stringent in this country but is that a bad thing? - after all, inserting foreign bodies into eyes can potentially be dangerous if it isn't done correctly.

Opticsman

tidus wrote: »

You are entitled to be issued with an NHS voucher, based on the info you've posted.

The only reason to refuse would be either you have already used one within the last 2 years, which you haven't, or that you already have a serviceable accurate pair, which you don't.

The voucher should be issued using the last sight test result and glasses made.

That how I understand it anyway, I personally would issue the voucher. The trouble is there is little "official" guidance issued to Opticians about these situations, the NHS is terrible at this kind of thing. You'll find different people interpret the rules differently.

What I don't understand is why are you continuing to mess around with Specsavers. Get them to give you a copy of your last prescription and go elsewhere. Surely that's easier than trying to argue with them - they believe what they are telling you is correct.

Hi Tidus & Ned.

We had a similar patient experience to this and our local PCT said differently.

They told us that a GOS3 NHS voucher can only be issued if the test was an NHS claimed test (GOS1 form submitted) and that, at the time of the test, the patient was in receipt of this benefit.

So in this particular example, they told us that the patient is not entitled to the NHS voucher as the original test was done privately and they are not due for another test yet, even if they were in receipt of the benefit at the time of test.

It seems to vary with different PCT areas.

Hope this helps