| If you need a
sight test, contact a registered opthalmic optician
or optometrist.
Choosing your optician
You can get lists of opticians
from:
- Health and Social Services
Councils;
- Health and Social Services
Boards;
- Central Services Agency;
- Citizens' Advice Bureaux;
and
- Yellow Pages.
Free sight tests
You can get free tests if:
- you are over 60;
- you are under 16;
- you are a full-time student
under 19;
- you or your partner are getting
certain benefits;
- you are on a low income;
or
- you have special medical
needs which may affect your sight.
Leaflet HC11 which you can get
from social security offices, post offices or
the Central Services Agency gives more information.
Having your eyes tested at home
If you can't visit your optician
for reasons of illness or infirmity you can have
your eyes tested at home. This is free of charge
for people who get free sight tests. Other people
may have to pay.
Your prescription
If you need glasses, your optician
will give you a prescription which is usually
valid for two years. You can choose where to buy
your glasses but they must be made in line with
a registered practitioner's prescription.
If you don't need glasses or
your sight hasn't changed, your optician must
give you a statement confirming this.
You might want to consider
any guarantees or service arrangements for repairs
or replacements.
Paying for your glasses
You may be able to get help with
costs of glasses if:
- you are under 16;
- you are a full-time student
under 19;
- you get certain benefits;
or
- you need complex lenses.
Opticians' charges vary, so you
should shop around.
Your optician can give you more
information.
If things go wrong
If you can't keep an appointment,
you should tell your optician as soon as possible.
- If you are not satisfied with
your sight test, you should talk to your optician.
- If you have any complaints
about your glasses, you should talk to the retailer
who supplied them.
- You can also complain to the
Optical Consumer Complaints Service.
You have a right to take your
complaint further. For more information on how
to complain about sight tests, prescriptions or
glasses, you can contact your Health and Social
Services Council.
You have a right
to be treated politely with respect for your privacy
and dignity. |
