Your entitlements to NHS ophthalmic services

All eye examinations are free in Scotland to those ordinarily resident in the UK or exempt from NHS charges.

Regular free eye health check

It’s important for your eyes to be regularly examined by an optometrist, even if you don’t think you have a problem with your vision.

An NHS funded eye examination in Scotland (called a primary eye examination) tests more than just your sight. It’s a more thorough examination to:

• check the health of your eyes
• look for signs of other health problems

It means that any problems with your eyes can be found before they become more serious.

How often should I have my eyes checked?

The decision to carry out an eye examination is a clinical decision made by your optometrist.

Primary eye examinations can only be undertaken at the following intervals:

Emergency eye problems and ongoing diagnosis/review of conditions in the community

If your optometrist thinks it's clinically necessary you can still have your eyes examined for free at any time between primary eye examinations. These are called supplementary eye examinations.

Your optometrist might offer a supplementary eye examination if:

• you have an emergency eye issue, for example a red or sticky eye, blurred or reduced vision, flashers and floaters or pain in or around your eye
• they want to see you more often for the purposes of ongoing diagnosis or review of conditions such as glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

How to find a local optician

You can find a list of local opticians using our service directory.

A NHS Optical Voucher helps towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses.

You can get a voucher if you:

• are under 16 years of age
• are in full time education and aged 16, 17 or 18
• need complex lenses
• are entitled to, or named on a valid NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate
• are named on a valid HC2 certificate
• or your partner gets Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit - Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance don't count as they're not income related

Partial help

If you're named on a valid HC3 certificate you might get some help.

If you're a war pensioner, you may be entitled to help for the cost of your glasses or contact lenses if the treatment is for your pensionable disablement. For more information contact:

Repair or replacement of glasses or contact lenses

You can get a voucher towards the cost of repair or replacement if you're under 16 years of age.

If you're 16 or over you may be entitled to a voucher towards the cost of repair or replacement, if NHS NSS Practitioner Services agree that:

• the loss or damage was due to illness or disability
• you cannot get help through a warranty, insurance or after sales service
• you would be entitled to a NHS voucher for glasses or contact lenses

If you wish to claim assistance with costs, due to financial hardship, you must contact your local NHS Board.

If you want to claim a refund, ask the person who supplies your glasses or contact lenses for a receipt. This receipt must show how much you paid and the date of payment. If you're claiming because of low income, use form HC5 available from Jobcentre Plus offices, NHS hospitals, or your optician may have one.

Complete the HC5 form and send it off, making sure you enclose your optical prescription and your receipt. The form tells you what to do. The maximum refund you get back will be the voucher value that matches your prescription.

If you've already used a voucher towards the cost of your glasses or contact lenses you can't get a refund, unless it was only a “complex lens” voucher. You can't claim for a refund of the difference between the voucher value and the actual cost of your glasses or lenses, even if they cost more than the voucher value.

If you want to claim for a reason other than low income, you'll need to send Practitioner Services a letter, enclosing your receipt.

How to contact Practitioner Services

Lost or damaged glasses or contact lenses

If your glasses or contact lenses have been lost or damaged and you pay for replacement or repairs, you'll only be considered for a refund if the loss or damage was due to illness or disability.