Is there a limit to the number of NHS glasses you can have in a year?

[coopertrooper]

I ask because we have been told that the hospital has a new one pair a year rule!
DH took DD, aged 4, to Orthoptics today (part of a Foundation Trust hospital) for her routine check.
She was wearing a very old, way too small pair, as the last two have broken arms, and I haven't gotten round to getting them repaired yet. In the past she's been given a new script and we keep the mended broken pair as a spare and so on. She's getting through 4-6 pairs a year. This time the orthoptist said that as she needs her new test in November, but she will bring it forward, then issue a script for two new pairs (new plus spare). She refused to issue a new script, and the current are really dodgy.(I am off to the Opticians tomorrow to sort out the repairs)
I've googled and can find nothing in NHS regs/DH that limits you to one pair a year, and can only guess that this is a Hospital Eye Service rule/interpretation. Part of the challenge is that her head seems to be growing so rapidly that the frames are being stresses as she outgrows them. She is severely longsighted in both eyes ands has an almighty squint so she can't be without glasses as she can see nothing properly.
DH also said that apparently her eyes have gotten a bit better, perhaps because she is growing. My guess is that the old pair are a slightly stronger prescription!
Anyway, I'd appreciate any views-we'll obviously pay for whatever she needs if the NHS doesn't now cover this, but I feel I'm being misled here.

from memory there is a section on the back of perscription from opticians that detail rules I think they issue 1 voucher once a year unless there is a change

AFAIK under 16's get as many new pairs as they need. Whether they outgrow them/break them/lose them whatever.

That is at the optician's though - the hospital may have different rules. But if you have a presciption just take it to the optician's and they should sort it out for you.

Thank you.
We don't have a current prescription because it's always handed in, but I will speak to the optician who usually dispenses the glasses. I'm sure that they have to issue one if I ask, as long as it's current. Reminds me to take a copy in future!

You can get replacement glasses from the opticians DD2 has a hospital prescription but gets her glasses from the opticians, her prescription is kept at the opticians and they replace broken glasses etc as needed. She only gets one hospital prescription a year.

coopertrooper - you don't go to a children's hospital do you? - there are one or two that are truly dreadful about this. You should be able to get as many pairs as your DD actually needs, and most places seem to understand that children grow and break specs, but children's hospitals have tighter budgets relative to the need. They're having you on. I know someone who sorted out this particular impasse by finally threatening to go to the press after nothing else worked. Try your hospital's PALS service, if that doesn't work, a formal letter with threatening to go to the press as a last resort. Good luck

Yes - by law they have to give you a copy of the prescription, but the trouble is they may not re-issue the voucher you need to get new specs. However, if you take the prescription to the optician's and explain that dd has grown out/broken/lost her hospital specs they should be able to do it for you on a pink NHS voucher (think it is a GOS 5). You will find at least one opticians who'll do it - they still make a profit on NHS dispenses!!

my dd is 4 and she has had about 3 pirs in a year as she is so clumsey with them lol

We go to Specsavers and they just replace them if they got lost or irreparably broken without needing to get a new prescription.

We have 4 pairs on the go at the moment, 2 from an old prescription which is still OK if the 2 new pairs are broken! We go in for repairs once 3 out of 4 need fixing and get them all done at once, which is generally about once a month!

just wondering...not really about OP as such, but have you tried Vision express? They do memory frames (that seem unbreakable) for only £20 extra and you get a 2. pair free....might be worth considering trying those....

I know that if prescription changes tehy will give you new prescription, but not sure for outgrowing/breaking, sorry

my 6 year old nephew was stopped from having anymore after his 3rd pair in 10 months, (as they mysteriously kept getting broke)
my sister went back to the GP though and got him re tested and got new glasses again

we go to specsavers for dd2 (prescription issued by hospital though) and they don't seem to give a hoot. She has gone through 4 pairs in one year before and it's never been questioned. It's not a straightforward prescription either - she has bifocals and needs curl sides retrofitted to the frame because of her hearing aid.

yep my 2yo wears glasses and has done since just before she turned 1.
you dont need a prescription to get new glasses as your optician will have a copy of it on file.
the only time you need a prescription is if your lo needs a different strength of lenses.or if you want to change to a different opticians.

we are also with specsavers and if our dd breaks the frame we just take the broken ones in and they give her a new frame. if she loses them we just phone them and they make her up a new pair,the same if they are too small for her.
specsavers def dont have a limit as to how many pairs you can have in a year.

good luck x