To be worried? School nurse letter...

[Charlieandthechocolatecake]

DS who is in reception had his check done by the school nurse last week. We got a letter back today with his sight check details. He has been referred to the local eye hospital.

If it was a case of him needing glasses, surely he'd be referred to Specsavers or something?

Does anybody else have experience of this?

I'm so worried. Would it be worth trying to contact the school nurse to ask what the problem is?

[WindyWednesday]

Also they replace any broken glasses for free. You have to choose which ones are NHS or specsavers ones. The NHS ones (only allocated by me) go to school where they are more likely to get broken. The others are for home and if they get broken I have to pay a percentage of the repair cost. It's all very easy and no worry.

Doesn't matter if it's deliberate either. dc admitted trying to see how far the arms would bend. They obviously broke. Specsavers gave new frames for free. All sorted out.

Only downside to specsavers in my branch is it's so busy you have to wait around. We go on Sundays early when it's quiet.

[WindyWednesday]

Don't worry about the NHS vouchers. We recently went to specsavers and got two pairs and an eye test. They didn't ask for a penny as it's all free for children. Didn't have to prove any voucher. We aren't on benefits and could afford to pay. But thanks to the NHS it's all free.

Specsavers had a great children's range. Gruffalo, Moana, Star Wars, frozen, basically most Disney ones and they have their own range which are nice. Lots to choose from. All are free. £64 I think if you choose to get a third pair. I forgot to get a pair of sunglasses as well. They offered to swap a pair into sunglasses for free or they gave me a pair I had to pay for for half price. So £32 for a pair of prescription sunglasses.

Easy as anything, and they make a fuss of children. Stickers and so on. Don't panic. I was the same with the letter from school. But it's all ok.

[Notajerkmaybe]

If anyone reading this has a child with strong prescription may I recommend Asda rather than specsavers, as Asda do all the thinning etc for free, whereas to get the glasses thin enough at specsavers cost me about £75, so the two pairs for £150 didn't seem such a bargain.

I've never had to pay a penny at Asda.

[Screwinthetuna]

Don't worry! I'm my area, they get referred straight to the hospital and the vast majority pass first time and don't need glasses. Half the class was sent in my friend's DD's school!

My brother would be referred there for both his sight and hearing every time and then pass the hospital test.

Hope that makes you feel better

[BackforGood]

I think the kids glasses at specsavers are lovely, the first pair are free and you get a replacement pair free too, but after that you have to pay I believe

No - they replace or fix them when they break.

[ChuffMuffin]

FlyingGoose I think they just do it as a precaution, to make sure there's no other potential problems other than needing glasses. Things like squints & amblyopia can have much better outcomes if they're treated as early as possible as opposed to later in childhood. They might not be able to make conditions like that any better, but they can stop them from getting worse.

Also squints, amblyopia and moderate/high prescriptions can be hereditary, so if there's any adults here with those, it's best to get your kids eyes checked regularly. .

[bookwormnerd]

Glasses are free and will replace of broken ( we have had to do several times, they can also try and fix) with the eye drops i would also sugest some sunglasses as it makes eyes sensitive to light

[Rarity75]

My DD was referred due to nystagmus (tracking muscles in her eyes). Basically she struggled to cross her eyes and look at the end of her nose without her eyes 'wobbling'. Seen once and discharged.
They didn't check her vision and I took her to specsavers and she was long sighted. Got two pairs of glasses for free for reading.

[FlyingGoose]

My daughter already wears glasses and has been referred to the hospital. No idea why...trying not to worry too much!

[MusicToMyEars800]

My friends dd had referral to hospital eye clinic from the school, she needed glasses, I think the kids glasses at specsavers are lovely, the first pair are free and you get a replacement pair free too, but after that you have to pay I believe.

[SoEverybodyDance]

Yes, I'd recommend booking the appointment at hospital. We went to the opticians first and they didn't do the eye drops test which mean DS was wearing the wrong prescription for a year, so there was much anxiety about lack of interest at school, refusal to read etc.

[TheNoodlesIncident]

One thing a PP mentioned - they do put drops in your dc's eyes before the test and apparently that can sting a little. Make sure you have some sort of bribery with you (if that works for your dc) otherwise you may end up having to clamp them in a headlock... there is also a wait for the drops to take effect so it helps to have some sort of entertainment with you. The waiting area may be well equipped with toys and/or a TV tuned into a kids' channel, but it might not.

Ds has been discharged from the eye clinic at hospital now, so we just go to whatever optician we prefer once a year.

[Seeline]

My Ds was referred to our local NHS eye clinic after his reception test. He was monitord for a couple of years, but never needed glasses. He did need them by the time he was 12 though.

DD passed her reception test, but was discovered to be very short sighted by the age of 6 when I took her to a private opticians when she complained about not being to read stuff off the TV. She was amazed at what she could see once she had glasses - I felt so guilty at not having picked it up sooner.

So the results of the reception test to vary - there's no harm n getting things checked though.

[FurryLittleTwerp]

*oops I'm 51 ¾ - the children's specs make me feel SO YOUNG

[FurryLittleTwerp]

He might have been referred because they found a squint - some are not very obvious at all.

If he needs specs there are some great ones around - I remember the dreaded NHS ones in the 70's with curly wire round the ears - so uncomfortable

I'm wearing Boots children's frames myself at this very minute, aged 41 & ¾ - fab dark purple with pinky-purple on the inside They were the ones I liked best & they were CHEAP!!

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

We had this. Some children were referred to the optician but mine to hospital. She had a Hosital eye test and got a prescription for glasses. They said she was referred as it appeared her vision was quite bad but actually only needed glasses at -0.5 so the school test results were wrong. Now we just go to specsavers and get the free test and free glasses, they have an amazing range including characters that children like etc. Don't panic

[dementedpixie]

It's the orthoptist you will probably see at the hospital. Dd was under hospital care from 18 months until around age 8 at which point she was discharged to a local optician instead. She is long sighted and will always need glasses. We use a local independent optician. At the start she had the free glasses but now we pay a bit extra for fancier frames

[RaspberryOverloadsOnChilli]

RB68

yeah they are a bit better than just the blue or pink ones from the 70's. I was a rebel and always had blue...

I had the tortoiseshell ones And managed to break them on a regular basis.

On a serious note, I did't get glasses for severe short-sightednes until I was 7. I still blame my parents for leaving it so long, and I'm 48 now. I have one very short sighted parent, and one with extreme long sight. They both wore glasses and the signs that I had a problem were right in front of their face.

I can still remember being practically sat on top of the TV saying I can't see it and being told to move back or "You'll hurt your eyes". I think it was the school that spoke to mum in the end. I remember my teacher trying me in different seats around the class when I said I could read the board.

I should have had glasses as young as 3-4. I became very clumsy as a result of not having glasses, and while I can now see with glasses/contacts, I still have a residual clumsiness that has never gone away.

So I got my DCs tested as soon as practically possible. They both have mild short sight (although it's a running battle to get DS to wear his glasses).

[StealthPolarBear]

Yes agree with others, ds had the smallest sight problem ever but we were referred to eye hospital for reallt thorough checks. How it should be I suppose

[Degasinacar]

We were referred as Dd had a lazy eye. She had 2 appointments to establish its situation and then had surgery to correct it at age 6. At all times we were kept fully informed by the hospital and reassured. On the day there was a huge play area on the ward , films on, games to play etc.
There were 10 children all having surgery in the same day for the same thing and they took the children in order of youngest to oldest so dd was 7th I think. I was allowed into the room where she was anaesthetised and then sent back to her bed to wait with her dad. She was under for about 40 mins and was awake in just over an hour and calling for me. It was nerve wracking but everyone was totally reassuring. Once she was back on the ward she had to rest until she could open her eyes, eat toast and walk, all of which she did within 2hrs and we were discharged by 3.30. When we left there was just one boy left who had had surgery on both eyes and was nervous to get out of bed.
This is probably too long but I thought it might reassure you that even if its not just glasses it can still be ok. Dd's eyes are amazing now, the opticians are always super pleased with her.

[Gizlotsmum]

My son is 5 and under the hospital for his eyes.. so much easier. Use spec savers for his glasses ( depending on the strength of any prescription required it can include thinning of lenses). Has always covered his choice of frames from the range available ( currently has minions ones!) repairs are free. We have the second pair as sunglasses as they are included ( and a godsend in bright weather)

[HelenaJustina]

The DC at our school have the 'option' of three letters:
1 your child was seen and no action required
2 your child was seen and we recommend a visit to a local optician
3 your child was seen and an appointment has been made for you at local eye hospital

It just indicated the level of the potential problem and the level of qualification needed to diagnose it! For a lot of children, the pupil dilation drops are required to give an accurate measurement and we were told that most high street opticians are extremely reluctant to perform that test on children. Whereas the hospital does it all the time!

Try not to worry or panic. If there is a problem, how much better that it has been picked up now, before it impacts on DSs schooling. (And I say that as the owner of two DC who were referred to the eye hospital through school screening and require classes!)

[PhyllisWig]

My dd did have something seriously wrong with her eye picked up
at the reception eye test but it was actually great as we got a swift referral to the hospital, lots of tests and a diagnosis and treatment. She still gets seen every 6 months (and I get to look at the imaging photos which are stunning - I'd like one in the wall as art).

They are so good there. Wonderful with the kids, manage the queue/waiting time well etc. Dd doesn't love it obvs but she tolerates it well - this year they got Easter eggs and there are normally biscuits knocking about which helps.....

[minisoksmakehardwork]

Op. I hope you're feeling reassured. I have 3 in glasses, all picked up very young (18 months and birth!!). The twins have been wearing glasses since they were 8 months old and are under the hospital ophthalmology dept. Dd1 was discharged just after she turned 8. We were told 7 originally!

Specsavers are definitely the best place. The glasses are completely free as others have said, you get 2 pairs. What I will say though is they will ask you which are to be the NHS pair as specsavers themselves fund the second pair. So if the second pair get broken irreparably, you are asked to pay towards replacement. Ds2's were £15 - still a whole lot cheaper than buying a second pair though. The NHS pair they replace completely free but they do know which is which if both pairs are the same!

Specsavers do a brilliant range. Ds2 is currently sporting Star Wars glasses, dd2's glow in the dark. They've had anything from mickey and Minnie to frozen and avengers.