Petition Equality of Service for the Supply of Childrens Glasses

We believe that the regulation for the supply of glasses for children should be amended so that all children receive the same level of financial help regardless of how they access the NHS service.

Children can obtain glasses either from a voucher issued from a Hospital (HES) or from an Optician (GOS)

An inequality exists with an NHS “special facial characteristics” voucher. This is when a basic spectacle frame will not fit correctly and a specially-made frame is required. There is financial help available within HES but not from GOS.

This means that patients with the same clinical need receive a different level of service.

GOS regulation should be amended to correct this inequality.

Examples of when this voucher is issued may include:

Children with Down’s syndrome
(The facial features of a small, flat nose mean that standard glasses tend to slide down constantly. Specialist frames can mean a better fit, fewer repairs and better quality of vision.)