Prescription Glasses and Dental in Scotland

[Deleted member 21371]

Yeah, when I was in Specsavers, the cheapest were £19. they were very ugly, with not a wide choice in the range either. The type of thing a caricature of a sex-offender might wear. Okay for reading glasses, but definitely not something one would want to wear in public as a more or less permanent trademark.

As an aside, I don't know why people perceive things in certain ways, but unfortunately they do. I remember at school in the 1960's, prescription eye-glasses had a very distinctive frame and the kids who wore them were automatic targets for every bully's amusement. That is until John Lennon started to wear designer glasses which had the basic form of the NHS prescription glasses. Then everyone wanted something similar. They also introduced more choice into the range of available frames, thus beginning the process of reforming the high street optician into the beast we know today.

The next range up was £24, with a much wider choice. Still more restricted and much lower quality than the £69 range, but most people will probably find that £6 price differential is worth paying

Times change.
My kids wear glasses I never would, they think my style choice is way out of date now.
As to "sex offender", I think we need to be careful with labels.

 

[IrvineHimself]

..... As to "sex offender", I think we need to be careful with labels.

You are perfectly correct, I did say it was a caricature, but I can understand the danger of using such imagery.

I think I will edit the post

 

[IrvineHimself]

You wouldn't believe this, I got my HC-2 certificate today, took them less than a week. This entitles me to:

• Free prescriptions which, living in Scotland, I get anyway.
• Free NHS Dental care, which I desperately need
• Free NHS sight test, which, living in Scotland with my over 60's us pass, I got anyway
• The full value of a voucher towards the cost of glasses and contact lenses, This was the reason I applied for the HC-2 in the first place, and according to SpecSavers, would normally cover me for upto £49 each for both pairs of glasses I was prescribed.
• Free NHS wigs and fabric supports
• Refund of travel to recieve NHS treatment, which I get anyway with my over 60's bus pass

Here is the rub, the primary motivator for the HC-2 was being prescribed glasses, (though dental was also a consideration.) However, my prescription is dated the 9th of May, and the HC-2 is dated from the 10th of May. As a result, Specsavers are saying that they can't issue the vouchers!

They tell me it should be possible to get the form backdated, but, as things stand, I cannot get a new sight test and hence a new proscription for another two years. Ugh..... this is a monument to the crass insanity of the bureaucratic process

 

[Vicsetter]

You wouldn't believe this, I got my HC-2 certificate today, took them less than a week. This entitles me to:

• Free prescriptions which, living in Scotland, I get anyway.
• Free NHS Dental care, which I desperately need
• Free NHS sight test, which, living in Scotland with my over 60's us pass, I got anyway
• The full value of a voucher towards the cost of glasses and contact lenses, This was the reason I applied for the HC-2 in the first place, and according to SpecSavers, would normally cover me for upto £49 each for both pairs of glasses I was prescribed.
• Free NHS wigs and fabric supports
• Refund of travel to recieve NHS treatment, which I get anyway with my over 60's bus pass

Here is the rub, the primary motivator for the HC-2 was being prescribed glasses, (though dental was also a consideration.) However, my prescription is dated the 9th of May, and the HC-2 is dated from the 10th of May. As a result, Specsavers are saying that they can't issue the vouchers!

They tell me it should be possible to get the form backdated, but, as things stand, I cannot get a new sight test and hence a new proscription for another two years. Ugh..... this is a monument to the crass insanity of the bureaucratic process

got to another optician you should then get the vouchers. I have resorted to a private optician, not one of the big firms, mainly for convenience. and get my glasses on-line, you could maybe get a prepaid card to pay on-line. I've just had my retinopathy test all clear, unlike my wife who goes for a special retinopathy scan and has had laser treatment. We live in Scotland, just had a dental checkup and clean for about £12 each on NHS.

 

[trophywench]

At our NHS dentist in England, a check up is £25. Appt with the hygienist for a proper clean and descale costs £50, but you have to pay half when you book it because of the number of No shows.

 

[Lucyr]

got to another optician you should then get the vouchers. I have resorted to a private optician, not one of the big firms, mainly for convenience. and get my glasses on-line, you could maybe get a prepaid card to pay on-line. I've just had my retinopathy test all clear, unlike my wife who goes for a special retinopathy scan and has had laser treatment. We live in Scotland, just had a dental checkup and clean for about £12 each on NHS.

You wouldnt get a new sight test free though, having just had one recently.

 

[helli]

If you are lucky enough to have a smaller head, it could be worthwhile looking at children's glasses. They do not all have cartoon characters on them.
You cannot argue the prescription fitted glasses are for a child so you still have to pay VAT but they can be cheaper than adult's frames.
I have two pairs which look perfectly suitable for business. One pair cost about £25 from SpecSavers. It was a few years ago so maybe a little more pricey now but could still be cheaper than grown up frames.

 

[helli]

You wouldnt get a new sight test free though, having just had one recently.

In England, sight tests in a high street optician are funded by the NHS if you have diabetes treated by medication.
I get this done every year and do not pay anything unless I need new specs

 

[Lucyr]

In England, sight tests in a high street optician are funded by the NHS if you have diabetes treated by medication.
I get this done every year and do not pay anything unless I need new specs

Every year, you cant claim a second free eye test now having just had one on the 9th May as Irvine explained

 

[IrvineHimself]

got to another optician you should then get the vouchers. I have resorted to a private optician, not one of the big firms, mainly for convenience. and get my glasses on-line, you could maybe get a prepaid card to pay on-line. I've just had my retinopathy test all clear, unlike my wife who goes for a special retinopathy scan and has had laser treatment. We live in Scotland, just had a dental checkup and clean for about £12 each on NHS.

£100 fine for trying to find a workaround like that. As an aside, I am also off to the retinopathy clinic on Friday.

At our NHS dentist in England, a check up is £25. Appt with the hygienist for a proper clean and descale costs £50, but you have to pay half when you book it because of the number of No shows.

For the last 18 months, I have been paying £12 every 6 months for an extraction at the emergency dental clinic. This is almost certainly because of the diabetes. Like I say, I desperately need full dental care, I think/hope I am still registered with the Dentist down in Leith?

 

[helli]

Every year, you cant claim a second free eye test now having just had one on the 9th May as Irvine explained

If your eyesight changes you are entitled to additional eye tests
If his eyesight has not changed, Irving should be able to request his prescription from the first optician to take where he wishes.
This is in England. I do not know about Scotland.

 

[silentsquirrel]

If your eyesight changes you are entitled to additional eye tests
If his eyesight has not changed, Irving should be able to request his prescription from the first optician to take where he wishes.
This is in England. I do not know about Scotland.

But the date on that prescription will still predate his HC-2.

 

[helli]

But the date on that prescription will still predate his HC-2.

In which case, his prescription is likely to have changed significantly so he would be entitled to another eye test ... at least if he was in England
My optician told me this.

 

[silentsquirrel]

In which case, his prescription is likely to have changed significantly so he would be entitled to another eye test ... at least if he was in England
My optician told me this.

No - not in one day! Read post #23.

 

[IrvineHimself]

So, went back to StreetWork this morning, and after about an hour or so of outraged phone calls to the NHS, Specsavers and anybody else who would listen, Specsavers finally relented and agreed to give me the vouchers for my desperately need glasses. They even threw in a free anti-scratch coating.

Also stopped by my Dentist to see if I was still registered. I am, but due to the COVID backlog, the earliest appointment was the end of August. So, waving my HC-2, and really laying it on about my diabetes and recent emergency visit to the hospital, I got a very long lecture about how I cannot just waltz in after several years and expect to jump to the front of the queue, but she did agree to slip me in on July 22nd.

It's still a two month wait, but it is a lot better than waiting three months.

 

[trophywench]

Pleased it's sorted Irvine. Been thinking and puzzling about it ever since you mentioned it. To apply for vouchers surely you have to show that you do actually need spectacles so I'd imagine they'd need an optician to confirm this - so how the hell could you prove it to their satisfaction without getting your eyes tested?

 

[IrvineHimself]

To apply for vouchers surely you have to show that you do actually need spectacles so I'd imagine they'd need an optician to confirm this - so how the hell could you prove it to their satisfaction without getting your eyes tested?

Have you ever read Catch 22