"FREE" EYE TEST/GLASSES for CHILDREN - how much do you actually pay for them?

[Giuliettatoday]

Hi there,

I supposed you should be able to get free eye tests and glasses on the NHS for children (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Still, I ended up paying £40 today.

£15 frame (they tried to show us lots of far more expensive ones, £40 and even more than £100 without even asking what we were looking for, just asking my ds (8) if he liked the glasses. Luckily I was able to convince him to choose the £15 frame. There was NONE that would have been completely free, but ok, £15 is not the world. Another £10 for scratch resistance (ok, that was entirely my choice so fine).
While I hadn't expected this, still ok so far (£25 I thought). But no, the bill was £40. I had to politely ask why, the assistant didn't mention anything and just asked for "settlement" (of the bill that is).

The answer was, technically the NHS eye check is free, but not with Mr. XY (optician). It does actually cost something (£15) because he's so great.


I was of course too polite and embarrassed to cause trouble (typical) but found this very cheeky (they hadn't mentioned it at all when booking the appointment and also not when we arrived for the appointment).


Last year I tried another optician and the cheapest kids glasses started at £40. Ds was so sad he couldn't have them it was heartbreaking.

We are not really poor so can afford this, my childrens eye-sight is important to me and surely I spend a lot of money on non-essential things, however, I don't see why they don't tell you anything about the actual cost beforehand and why I should pay a lot of money on designer frames which neither I nor my child care for.

Plus I think they should at least have one free frame which doesn't necessarily need look stylish but at least then you had a real choice. Also I'd really like to know the fees for the check beforehand.

Don't get me wrong, £15 is fine for me to pay, but I just don't like the way the opticians think I'd happily spend £80 or more on child's glasses (they manage to break them all the time anyway, so what's the point?).

I know there're plenty of opticians, but with three dc I don't really like dragging them from shop to shop or ring dozens of opticiansl.

Maybe I'm overreacting but would still love to know what you pay.

[BasilWhoosh]

I've just paid around £100 for DS at Specasavers but it's the first time I've had to pay anything. It's because he's got bifocals and I chose scratch resistant lenses.

[adamb946]

//www.specsavers.co.uk/news-and-information/latest-news/free-eye-test-at-kirkby

[adamb946]

Its free for kids , under 16 specsavers give 2 free pairs , my local opticians is in liverpool they also do the eye test free for adults , so if your local it will be worth the trip especially if you got kids [[www.specsavers.co.uk/news-and-information/latest-news/free-eye-test-at-kirkby
//www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/kirkby

[mankyscotslass]

Maybe I 'm just lucky that we have an eye clijnic at our health centre then. We were referred by the HV when i raised a concern, and althoughthe problem is minimal, they have been great. They just send out our appointments every few months! THey hope he can go without in the newxt few years, but will put us on yearly recall for a while if that happens, so again it wont be at the opticians but in the clinic.

[Giuliettatoday]

We had ds's eye checks in a hospital twice, but they discharged us and advised us to have an eye exam once a year at an optician's.

[Giuliettatoday]

Yes, we are in England, Greater London, Kingston-Richmond area.
But I'm not from England, hence my stupid questions, as I don't know that much about how these things work here, it's a bit different in Germany where I'm from. ;-)

[mankyscotslass]

We never get DS eyes tested at the opticians, always at the eye clinic we were referred to by our HV...my friends son was referred by the school nurse...is this a possibility for your ds? He has his eyes tested by standard tests every 3 months and a test with drops every 6 mths, nevr had to pay a penny for them, just like you say for the upgraded frames.

[debbiewebweb]

You can have as many free eye tests as you like/need I think. There can't be a limit or it would disadvantage children whose eyes may have deteriated rapidly. My dd has had lots of extra 'tests' & eye drops etc at our opticians and has bever paid any extra. Can I ask where abouts you are - I'm assuming its england

[Giuliettatoday]

furball: I'm not worried about the charge for the glasses (while free ones would have been better).

It's the extra £15 for the eye exam. I'll ask why he did the extra tests without advising me of the extra charge in advance, plus what you wrote, it's very good.

I don't intend to go to another optician next week, but in about a year's time, and then I'd like to change opticians definitely!

[Furball]

Ps, if you go to an optician that dispenses NHS glasses, they are free and only incur a small charge for little extras like we have thinned lens for £10, someone else said they have anti scratch. etc. Maybe you picked glasses from the 'you have to pay for these' range?

[Furball]

I think you could try turning up at another optician next week! They will just give you another form to fill in the same. I don't think there is a limit on how many tests you can have for free. I would also ask if charged - what exactly are these extra tests that endure a £15 fee and if they are soo important how come the NHS don't cover that in their test.

[Giuliettatoday]

I now have to pick up the glasses tomorrow.
In the meantime I rang an optician's complaint service and just asked them what they think.
She answered, if the optician carried out more tests than just the straigtforward NHS eye exam yes, then he could charge for the extra tests.

I suspect when I go to the optician to pick up the glasses and to confront him that's what he's going to say, that he carried out extra tests. (This may even be true...). I just don't know what is involved in the basic NHS test and what he might (or might not) have done additionally.

Unfortunately dh will probably not have the time to go, and I can already imagine that the optician will tell me that he did lots of extra tests that are not free on the NHS.

Arrgh, how I hate this. Ok I will at least try, but I think all I can do is write the money off and change opticians. By the way, do I need any details from this optician or could I just turn up at another optician next year (or whenever he manages to break the glasses...) with my ds? I'm really not sure because how would the new optician know that he's entitled to a check in a year.

[Giuliettatoday]

You are all so kind and I'm finding your messages very helpful.

I hate these things but we'll definitely demand a refund for the eye exam.

It was the assistant who prepared the bill, so I (or dh) will demand to speak to the optician himself (it's a very small shop and he's the only one who does the eye exams - the assistants only do the admin and hand the frames to the customers).

If he refuses we'll make a complaint. I don't like the way they did it - no explanation, no warning, just a bill that was £40 all of a sudden.

heavy: yes, I signed a blue and a yellow (orangey?) form.

Will let you all know of the outcome!

[heavy]

hi there. can you remember signing two forms. there would be a blue one which says ds is under 16 and entitled to a free eye exam under the nhs and a yellow one which gives you money towards the glasses. In a way the fact they have got you to sign an nhs form is better for you as there is a definite protocol for complaining when you're not happy with the service provided under the banner of the nhs. in our practice we have digital photography which is not covered by an nhs test and so we charge extra for it but it is an optional extra for adults only we always advise them of the top up fee before we do it. under their nhs terms of service they must be able to justify the extra charge to you by doing extra tests etc i doubt very much if he would have time for extra in a 15min sight test. i would get your husband to kick up stink about paying for the eye exam and if you don't get anywhere take it to the PCT.

[nooka]

Sounds like fraud to me. You should complain to the practice, and also contact your local PCT opthalmic advisor (if you ring up either PALs or complaints they will probably either take details or pass you along to the right person). Sight tests for children are free, and if you signed the form then they are both taking your money and claiming for it. there is no extra cost to pay for someone "good"!

Re the frames all opticians should carry a good price range, but it is easy for the price to stack up. We usually pay something in the region of £40, but that's with thinning, anti scratch, and ds getting to choose what he likes from the mid-price range. It seems very cheap compared with the £400 minimum I have to pay and it's important to me that he likes them, but I would not be happy spending more than that really as we usually buy two pairs a year.

[alibobins]

DD has eye test at hospital and we get her glasses from local optitions.

Only ever pay to have lenses thinned, always have a second/spare pair, and we go in to get them straightened every week as DD is very clumsy.

I would definatly question the charge.

[Furball]

very odd that just because Mr XY did it you had to pay £15. What was so special about him? sounds like a load of baloney to me.

[elliott]

Then I think you've been had and I would take it further - also talk to the PCT.

[Giuliettatoday]

Yes, I signed an NHS form.
Also it was just a 'normal' exam, it didn't last any longer than 15mins or so, no eye drops or anything else that would justify an extra charge.

[MrsPontipine]

You have definitely been 'done'. Never paid for DS1 tests and glasses.

Go back and demand a refund!!!

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

DS had his first pair this winter. The eye test was free, as were the frames & case. We paid about £20 I think for extra anti-scratch protection.

[elliott]

Normally I have to sign an official NHS form saying we've had a sight test - which I guess is how they claim the money for doing it. did you have to do that?

[Giuliettatoday]

I now think we should/will challenge them, particularly because they had not mentioned there would be a charge for the eye test beforehand, neither when booking on the phone, nor when arriving there, and not even afterwards, it was just added to the bill in a very nonchalant and cheeky way without explanation (only when I asked for it, and even then it wasn't explained properly. The optician being so 'great' doesn't really matter, they have 'great' consultants in NHS hospitals and eye checks are still free for children there).

I'm not too bothered about the cost of the glasses now but the way I was charged for ds's eye exam and also the way they present expensive glasses without mentioning the price. At least ds was not upset as last year when I refused to pay £40 just for a frame.

[debbiewebweb]

two kids, several eye tests, lots of pairs of glasses - always free.

[Seona1973]

my dd gets her eye test at the hospital for free and her glasses have been from Optical Express and Dollond and Aitchison and both cost nothing. The Optical Express ones were Barbie, etc and I did pay £10 once for a scratch resistant coating. DD also had 3 replacements in 1 year which were free too. D & A had a free range plus a range you could pay for - we opted for the free ones but did pay to get the lenses thinned (DD's prescription got stronger so the lenses were much thicker). She has had one replacement so far which I didnt have to pay for (or for the thinning of the lenses). We have also just got her prescription sunglasses and they only cost £20 as they were being used as a second pair. Sounds like you have been taken for a ride. on your behalf!!