HC2 CERTIFICATE

[vad]

My daughter is under the care of moorfields and has Karatoconus in both eyes. Last week both hard lens were broken on the same day and she had to manage with limited sight . The hospital took 4 days to get replacement but she would have to wait up to 3 weeks in normal circumtances. The staff told her to get spare lens to cope with these situations. The hospital are insisting on charging her athough she has a current HC2 certificate. Any idea what to do now as she is a full time student with limited fund. ?

[Andrew MacLean]

4 days turn around is pretty good for contact lenses.

I am afraid that the hospital is probably within its rights charging your daughter the NHS rate for the replacement lenses.

All the best

Andrew

[rosemary johnson]

Who is insisting on charging? - is it the lens practitioner(s) in (I presume?) CLinic 4 who won't order the lens within the stamp from the cashiers that she has paid, or the cashiers who won't stamp the order form to say she is "counted as paid" by dint of her HC2?
If it is the practitioners, I suggest she takes the form anyway and goes and discusses it with the cashiers. They may at least tell her what the problem is.
If the cashiers are unhelpful then try either a CAB or the benefits helpline - or go to find what used to be called the medical social workers (a bit furthr on from the cashiers and on the other side of the corridor - got a new name something like CVI...... and see if they can advise on such issues.
If I remember rightly (not guaranteed!) an HC2 is only authorisation to cover costs up to a certain sum. If she filled in the form for the initial cost of the lenses, or similar, is it possible she's gone over the limit and needs to apply again for extra funding? - if so, the cashiers should be able to give her a new form and its instruction notes and should be able ot explain this.
OTOH, it may be that someone has come up with a rule that the government (ie us taxpayers) will pay for the cost of A pair of lenses, but will not pay for spare pairs in case of emergencies.
In which case she'd have either to get the practitioner to write out the order form to look like these are a new set not a spare pair, or to see if hr college will support her to say these are really, really vital....
Or see if there is a way of getting some fudning towards them under some resources for students with disabilities scheme.
Good luck, whatever happens.
Rosemary

[vad]

Thanks your advice Rosemary. It is actually the contact lens order department who are insisting on the charges. I will ask my daughter to talk to the medical social worker and to the Disabily Welfare officer at the University . I had an email from the pals officer of Mooorfields and I was informed that it is hospital policy to charge for spares even with an HC2 certificate
vad

[rosemary johnson]

Hallo aga in vad.
That, alas, makes all too much sense. Jim in CL orders is a decent bloke but has his rules to stick to.
I've come across PALS before and found them pretty useless, but may be able to find and report on hospital policy. Errrr, was this one of the PALS people themselves, or Helen Tate, who oversees them?
AM very tempted to suggest waiting a few months, then trying again to get an order through looking like a new, or another replacement, lens, and not a "spare" at all. And hope for the best meanwhile.
I can believe the hospital policy - and don't know enough about the HC2 rules to comment on whether it is a reasonable policy to make vis a vis the HC2 system.
Spare lenses is certainly an issue that the nhs as a whole doesn't understand adequately.
Good luck with it, anyway, and do let us know if you have any luck. If all else fails, you could try getting your MP on the case!
Roseamry