to expect NOT to have to pay to have my DD1's glasses lenses thinned....

Specsavers are a franchise and the decision as to whether to charge more for thinning or not would be up to the optician who owns the branch, hence the discrepancies. The practice I work in charge a lot extra for thinning which I personally don't like as I think that most children's prescriptions need thinning for the poor kids to look half-decent but the paltry amount we get from our health service( Ireland) really doesn't allow for any extras. May be different in the UK, though.

Hi, have a question...

My DD has needed glasses since age 4 (now 8) due to one eye not focussing properly. We use a small local opticians where we have to pay £20 for NHS frames, free lenses due to being on Income Support, and £20 to have lenses thinned (otherwise one lense is incredibly thick!)

I had no idea you could get lenses thinned for free!! Feel really ripped off now, especially as find paying for glasses quite a struggle sometimes (need changing every 6 months)

Anyway...Does it sound about right, what I've been paying altogether, bearing in mind am single mum on full benefits?

DD needs an appointment for new glasses next week, but will go elsewhere if am being ripped off.

DD went through a spate of needing repairs- so much so I did pay for a second pair. The optician told us that one repair a month wasn't a problem but she doesn't have any special needs - I would have thought a case could be made for more frequent repairs/replacements if necessary. After all, DD has to have six-monthly check-ups all of which is on the NHS and ok because it is recommended by the optician.

Mamazon, definately go else where. Scrivens used to let us have new lenses once a month,so at times a was paying out a lot! But Vission Express have been brilliant.

specsavers have told me that if my ds needs any new glasses theyw ill ahve to charge me as the NHS wont pay for any more renewals....he is 7 and has Autism, he has only had his glasses a year and in teh begining when he was getting used to having to wear them we did have a fair amount of breakages but even so, it is recorded that he is sn but they are still being arsey.

i have said that when we he needs a new pair we will be going elsewhere

If my DS's lenses aren't thinned, they wont fit into the frames.

I count it as a good thing we can get so much free optical care for our kids as it is. Thinner lenses often seem no more than a vanity thing. Kids lenses are no longer made with glass so I don't see any practical reason to have them thinned...

Either that or I've been out of the spectacle loop for so long I'm missing some marvellous medical advantage to thin lenses? I've not had new specs for over three years because I can't afford them so apologies if this is the case.

Agnes

LOL, your DC's must be so much better than my DS with their glasses. I'm in Vission Express monthly with mangled frames. We now only choose the free ones

Couldn't you use your voucher to thin the lenses (or towards it) and keep the old frames? Are you allowed to do this?

DD has so many old pairs of specs and we are useless at donating them into the charity bin.

Well, in theory you are only entitled to basic plain frames and ordinary lenses on the NHS for a child; if your optician gives you more than that it's for the goodwill I think.

Ours (small local chain) is very tolerant and lets DS2 get the silly frameless specs he insisted on having repaired every 3 months or so; but then the rest of us also go there for specs and contact lenses so I guess we pay for him

D&A are good they repair all dd's glasses and didn't bat an eye when I said she needed a new pair as she had thrown hers in a lake.

i am really suprised as we got dd's glasses from specsavers and they were thinned for no cost. (we now go to d&a as nearr)

oops, should be 'mr magoo' not mcgoo

we've used specsavers for dd's glasses and not paid extra to have them thinned, and dd's lenses have to be thinned otherwise she would look like mr mcgoo.

wonder if its a new thing, haven't used them for a year now as we moved and don't live near a branch anymore

We've always used D&A and always waited a few days for glasses. DD just uses the ones she has been using for 6 months (she's on 6-monthly check-ups) until they arrive.

It's not a big deal, really, waiting a few days.

We never paid to have our sons thinned in Specsavers, only ever paid £10 for the anti scratch coating. They even let me use his voucher against the cost of his contact lenses now we have changed to these.

meant blind lol

I have to have my lenses thinned.
I am so blond that if I didn't they would be literally like pint glass bottoms

that you would ever have to pay to have a childs lenses thinned, thats ridiculous.

she's also got a weird prescription, they take a week

dd2's are thinned at our Specsavers for under £10

Vision express also do thin lenses free for kids. Unfortunately DD's lenses are so weird they still have to be sent away rather than done while you wait but most kids' glasses can be done within the hour.