A patient with a prosthetic eye has expressed disappointment at being asked to pay for the full cost of an eye examination by his local high street practice.
David Rainsford told the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle he had lost one of his eyes in a shooting incident at school 30 years ago. ‘In my adult life it’s created lots of challenges,’ he said. ‘Having one eye means it’s really important I have an annual eye test, you must check on the health of your eye and just keep on top of it.’
Rainsford explained how he attended his annual eye test at Specsavers in Cramlington.
‘I’m very disappointed that Specsavers want to charge me full price for an eye test when I only have one eye,’ he told the newspaper. ‘If an eye test costs £25 I genuinely believe anyone with one eye should only have to pay £12.50 because they’re only testing one eye.’
A spokesperson for Specsavers said a comprehensive eye examination was important for patients with a false eye, meaning the fixed fee would be applied.
Dr Nigel Best, Specsavers’ clinical spokesperson, said: ‘A thorough eye examination can take anywhere between 15 minutes and one hour depending on the nature of the symptoms the patient displays and the complexity of the problems they are experiencing.
‘In patients with an ocular prosthesis it is important to be comprehensive. A typical sight test will include an examination of the surrounding area as well as the eye itself. Without proper care, prostheses can result in eyelid irritation which would require a referral to an appropriate specialist.
‘In patients who have been fitted with a prosthetic eye following a condition that caused a removal, there is a risk that the condition can often pose a continuing risk to the remaining eye, making regular, thorough examinations important.
‘At Specsavers, patients not entitled to an eye examination funded by the NHS can be confident that irrespective of the time required to perform such an examination, a single fixed fee will be charged.’
