Specsavers only offering nhs glasses every 18 months?

[TepidFossil]

Hi
I've got two boys (13 and 12) who both wear glasses and have done since they were 3-4. Specsavers have always given us the NHS free pair every 12 months. They are now telling us that it is every 18 months, and if the child needs glasses sooner we will have to pay for a pair.

My sons are now not due their eye test until June but my elder son really needs a replacement pair as they are very ill-fitting. He has complex lenses so before I shell out what is going to be £200+ for a pair of glasses for him, I wanted to check with other people if they've been told similar about the change to every 18 months to be entitled to a NHS glasses voucher?

I can't seem to find anything about this change from 12 to 18 months online? I'm concerned this is just a cost saving exercise for our specsavers, so interested to hear if this is being done nationally? Any one else had this? Thanks!

Have you told them that he is having trouble with his vision with the current pair? If he is they will change them. If it was he just fancies a change they won’t which is fair enough!

even as an adult (who doesn’t pay for tests or whole cost of glasses) when I have had problems they have seen me before the two years just making it clear that it’s only free if changes

Can the fit be adjusted by the opticians? I think they should do this free of charge? If they don't physically fit his head any more and can't be adjusted I would expect that to be covered by the NHS - particularly as his need to be specifically placed to correct his squint

our independent optician sorted ds 10 with nhs glasses free recently as his grandmother had lost his other pair . They were only 4 months old. They explained that within reason there is no limit on the amount of glasses ordered (these were the free ones).

I can't offer any advice on children's prescription glasses but are they ill fitting because of use?
I'm always taking mine off and back on again, I put them on top of my head etc and it makes the arms loose.
Specsavers will adjust them for free, sometimes I just tighten the screws with the tip of a pointy knife.
I buy mine from Specsavers on the two for one offer, varifocals, they cost me £235 so I understand your worry about the cost

My son’s did once during his early teenage years. It was actually in a year period, not 18 months. He grew almost a foot in height in that period and it was extremely expensive in terms of food/shoes/clothes that year. He’s had glasses since he was 3 and is now 18 and it was only the one time but puberty growth was a shocker.

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/offers/great-value-for-NHS-customers

I'd challenge Specsavers anyway over their interpretation of what your son is entitled to. Sound like they are minimising what he can have.

Apologies, I couldn't really figure it out from your post - have you asked Specsavers if they can see what they can do to adjust the existing pair to make them more comfortable?
I've found my local one to always be really helpful on that front but I guess there's a limit on what they can physically do. But I've had arms tightened/adjusted, nose pads replaced/adjusted etc before now.

Under 7s can be tested every 6months IF the optometrist deems necessary. &up to 15 annually. 16-18 and in full time education is every 2 years. Vouchers supplied, value varies according to prescription, for a change of prescription or if no change if the spectacles are not fit for use due to fair wear and tear. Repair vouchers according to need, value varies depending on what needs doing, but only up to age 15. There is no such thing as NHS specs. Vouchers have a value for lenses. Many opticians buy in very cheap frames around 1 or 2 pounds each and ‘give’ these with the voucher lenses. The optician receives a fixed fee from the NHS for an eye test, less than £24 and then the value of the lens voucher. Some lenses can be bought for a few pounds a set according to prescription, others a lot more.

I don't know the answer OP, but I'm following with interest as we're kind of already having the same problem with DD. She's not even two and has a very high prescription which causes a squint in one eye. The glasses are doing their job in correcting the squint though, which is great. Obviously at her age she is under the hospital who have issued two vouchers (after initially only issuing one, which was a right pain. You can imagine having to wait days for replacement glasses when they were inevitably damaged at nursery). The second pair is the next size up as the first pair is getting tight. But when I suggested perhaps the first pair needed replacing, I was met with resistance. Her head is constantly growing. She's only had the first pair since October. At what point will the opticians agree to replace the first pair? Otherwise, we're effectively back to only having one pair, even though she is "allowed" two?

Try a local optician. I've always had good service from the two independents I have used (I moved house and changed then).

I thought that it might be up to the optician to decide if a new test/glasses were warranted and that the NHS rules were general guidelines for if there were no special circumstances.

I'm now wondering, as my previous prescription, from a year ago, says 'recall date: 18 Feb 24' or something, and I was going to book my test - usually covered now by nhs as I also have complex prescription - but this is making me wonder if that means it will actually be covered as an NHS test after only a year, as it's usually 2 years for adults. I'd assumed the optician had decided I should come after a year and it would, but perhaps they've just put that as they like people to come every year, and I'd have to pay if I do.

So you could check what the optician has actually put on the previous prescription - does it have a recall date of a year?

Ask around other opticians as you might get lucky.

My prescription noticeably worsened over 18mths.
I booked in a Specsavers appointment, expecting to pay full whack (as an adult & because it was not 2 years between checks) but as the change was more than expected, I was charged NHS prices & was also given a voucher for the cost of my new glasses.
I also had to go back every 6 months for monitoring at no extra cost. Again I was given a voucher each time towards my new glasses (which helped as I was getting high index lenses).

Go elsewhere. Online for example

Speaking as someone who has a complex prescription, buying online is simply a no-no because you need the lenses to be perfectly adjusted to the position of your eyes vs frame.

As an aside, how can adults get NHS prescription glasses on the NHS?
I had never heard of it and could probably do with it if I can.

Ask for them to be adjusted, if the lenses are correct the fit can be changed, heads don't grow that much is 18 months.

My 13yo is on his 5th pair in 18 mo as his prescription needs changing and we have broken several pairs. No questions asked, free as its NHS, independent optician.
When his sight has stabilised we might pay for more sturdy frames

@BlueSkyBlueLife

You need to have a complex prescription or certain medical conditions

Thank you

Try a different optician as it seems it's still one a year ( more possible in extreme cases )

You clearly have a simple prescription

Being in receipt of certain benefits, or requiring complex lenses may give you a free optical voucher. Medical conditions only give you free sight tests, not free specs.

Check here:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/

Yes sadly I only get the test for free, not the glasses (and only the basic test - have to pay extra for the retina pictures etc). There is a small contribution to the lenses (like £35) but when they cost about £700-£800 without the frames, it doesn't make that much difference! So in some ways, it doesn't matter too much if my recall is in one year or not, as I can't afford new lenses anyway (though it does feel like my eyes have worsened) but I would still go if it's an allowable recall for an NHS test, just for the eye health check - it's just difficult if you find out that your eyes have changed a fair bit and yet you still can't really afford new glasses but sort of feel you should. Obviously if they've changed enough to make driving difficult or whatever, I'd have to, but it's not that bad. Enough that it's annoying though!