UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi all, just interested to hear anybodys thoughts on my current situation. i am getting close to my 2nd graft & having recently been struggling with my hybrid lens (light sensitivity & general pain) i visited my opt & doctor for their opinions, neither dyed my eye to check for abrasions or mentioned infection. My opt decided a new lens might help (at a reduced cost of £52) this was fine for a couple of weeks until more pain & probs.

Anyway i ended up at the emergency eye clinic with infection and told would have to buy another new lens as the infection will be in the lens that i had been wearing! This means i would have had less than a months wear from one lens & will need to pay another £80 (full price) for a new one. I feel let down by my opt & doc as surely this infection was present in the original lens i was struggling with

Regards

Matt

when it was thought i had an infection, my CL fitter had the lens back of me and re-sterlised somehow (not just bog standard stuff we have) to make sure that there was no sign of infection and then gave it back. Can you ask if this is possible? My lens was a hybrid (synergise) lens at the time

thanks Liz, had wondered about sterilising the lens but as it had not been mentioned by docs at eye clinic i assumed this was not an option.

Anyway i have another week to go with no lens wearing so i will call at my opt and see if it is possible. surely if you had your lens re-sterilised then i dont see why mine cant be as it is the same lens type. Thats cheered me up, fingers crossed

Matt

the only difference i could possibly see is that my hospital out-sources its KC contact lens fitting to a local high street opticians, so the equipment that is available may be different. Ask the question, it cant hurt.

Matty

Firstly as far as I was aware the standard NHS cost for a lens was £52 so I would severly question the £80 and why should you pay for a new lens if what they provided failed to work? When I pay for lenses, that covers me for te year.

Secondly, could you have become sensiised to the lens material? My hospital tried a few lenses this time last year and I kept having the same problems much as you describe. Now I have gone from RGP to silicone hydrogel lenses for KC I have none of those problems now.

Hi gareth, i have tried questioning the cost of these lenses to no avail. one lens every 12 months at reduced rate is the answer i get. maybe different areas have different ways of doing things i dont really know. At the moment i am hoping that it will be possible to sterilise the lens as suggested by Liz & then see how things go. Thanks for your replies

Matt

That is very far from my understanding of the system. I pay for one kens per eye per year. If I need another lens within the 12 months, it is dispensed free.

The only exception is where I lose a lens (it happens ). Then I pay at the NHS subsidized rate.

In your place I'd certainly challenge your clinic. If you wait about for a bit one of the optometrists will be along to give you the regulations you ought to quote. In the meantime you could look at the Moorfields website for information about their policy; I am very much aware that situations vary accross the jurisdictions within the UK.
http://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/Aboutus/Cl ... nquestions

all the best.

Andrew

Thanks for the info Andrew, would you suggest that, as stated on Moorfields i should be exempt from payment due to Patients who need their contact lens to be changed for clinical reasons within one year of payment?

I changed my long term & trustworthy opt due to the fact i was told another in town provided lenses through NHS scheme. I now wish i'd stayed put! Hey ho these things are sent to try us eh

Matt

that is exactly what I suggest. You could even take that printout to your NHS optometrist.

Sorry you are having such a hard time.

Andrew