Ah - I see. Thank you Geof!
Is that even to go into one of the shops outside the supermarket for a check and reading glasses Geof?
Iām not sure I should write this down, butā¦
Some opticians will do a test and sort out the right glasses - but to get the state contribution you also need a doctorās ordnance, which some MTs will do for you.
I donāt recommend it - because only an ophthalmologist can give you a full eye examination - but it is something I know others have done for convenience.
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Given that my grandmother had glaucoma, I tend to feel itās important to get a full check if at all possible but the waiting list is quite long around here.
Yes - exactly - eye health is more important than getting the right glasses.
Have any of you seen the argument/suggestion going on at the momentā¦ Opticians being allowed to prescribe lenses as a matter of courseā¦ due to the length of delay in seeing the Opthalmoā¦
Opthalmos are up in arms in case this takes folk away from the medical needs of having their eyes checked for the many things which can be wrong or might be going wrongā¦
I was reading this in the News over the weekend ā¦ but, of course, itās impossible to find it now.
I canāt see anything wrong with Optos doing lenses provided one does see the Opthalmo as often as might be deemed necessary by said Opthalmoā¦ perhaps once every 2 yearsā¦ who knowsā¦
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I saw this debate a while back so it must have come back into prominence recently. I agree that separating sight checks from health checks could be very useful. The first opthalmo I saw 5 years ago had an obession with glaucoma so I was extensively checked, which was good. However, he wouldnāt give me a prescription for glasses as he said I could carry on with the ones I had for at least 5 years. Having been used to annual sight checks I was a bit doubtful about thisā¦
The opthalmo I saw earlier this year did the health checks and the sight checks so all was well this time. The main problem after that was deciding which glasses to choose and that wasnāt at all easy 
Question :Not for eyes but for ears
I am aware that there is now full funding avialable for both eye and ear aids.
Wondering if a doctors ordinance is required for hearing test as recently I mentioned my hearing to MT and he simply advised me to make a RDV with local hearing aid shop.
Sorry for lack of correct terminology!
Thatās exactly what my doctor recommended but when I went to the hearing aid place they did check my hearing but told me to make a RDV with an ORL (equivalent of ENT). The ORL checked that there is nothing else going on and made out an ordonannce effectively saying āgive this person some hearing aidsā and told me to take it back to the hearing aid centre.
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As I understand it, the law may change next year so that opticians can test and prescribe glasses in much the same way they do in England. The caveat is that it will only be possible if the customer is between the ages of 12 and 42. This will , theoretically, mean that at the ages where most eye problems are discovered, opthalmo exams will still be required. And, yes, this is being done because of shortages.
Coincidentally, Iām having my opthalmo exam this morning at 11am. I have a family history of glaucoma, so always have an in depth exam.
A question for people who buy glasses online.How do you have them adjusted or repaired after you have bought them?
@JohnBoy and
Iāve just had new hearing aids for the first time. Doc gave me an ordinance for an audiologist and she then gave me one for a hearing aid centre. In my case Audilab who were brilliant. Basic aids are free but I needed advanced with better balance due to a badly damaged left eardrum so had to pay although I got recompensed to some extent by my mutuelle and CPAM.
I canāt tell you just how much it was worth it. I hadnāt realised the extent of my hearing loss which included an 80% loss in my damaged left ear (caused by swimming too deep when young). Now both ears spot on! Audilab were fantastic.
All was done in a few weeks and I then had a 4 weeks free trial when you are given the option to cancel if not happy.
great newsā¦
are you able to tell us a rough idea of how much you had to pay in the endā¦ (after CPAM and Mutuelle paid their sharesā¦)
@Stella McCartney
In my case 2,580 euros but there is a 4 year all in guarantee including loss, theft, damage, anything really.
Remember though I needed to have the left aid specially made (cast taken of left ear and a special fitting made).
I would think that most people may pay nothing as did a friend of ours who only needed the basic which I expect would apply to most people whose hearing is affected in both ears equally.
I was given that option but went for the all singing and dancing jobbies with rechargeable batteries done easily overnight. Options to include telephone and tv connectivity via bluetooth etc. but look at the Audilab or other sites to get full explanations.
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Gasp. $$$$
@KarenLot
No need to gasp!
Most people I suspect pay zilch or a much less amount.
I have a shattered left eardrum which failed to be corrected by a surgeon due to the level of damage and my case is probably exceptional.
Not sure we can say āmost peopleāā¦ an elderly neighbour in my village is left paying nearly 4,000ā¬ and worrying herself sillyā¦
(OH was quoted a large sum and had to say no thanksā¦ a few years backā¦ although we might well try again with modern thinkingā¦ re finances. Weād need the freebiesā¦)
Also, I had to point out that she had put the gizmos in back to frontā¦ in the box/recharging thingyā¦ poor lady has arthritic hands and doesnāt find these little things very easy to use.
Frankly, I reckon she would have been better off with something larger and easier to actually useā¦ but thatās just my viewā¦
@Stella
Good Grief Stella! She must have been sold the top of the range which was explained to me as being better for someone in a factory, office or other place where a lot of conversation/noise etc is experienced.
Iām no expert and can only quote the one person I know who had the basic ones, paid nothing and is as happy as the proverbial pig in muck.
How the hell your neighbour put them in the charger back to front is beyond me, I would have thought that was pretty impossible. and no reason not to have them. Like blaming a car when you put the wrong fuel in it.
I am always surprised by peoples reaction to the price of hearing aids.4 years or more of being able to hear better works out roughly to less then 2ā¬ aday( in morays case) . As someone who has lost 60% of my hearing ,its a small price to pay to be able to watch the tele , listen to music and answer my phone.
Moray there is a thread on hearing aids in the health section