There’s an NHS policy maker somewhere who deserves one. I saw the consultant surgeon yesterday to decide what to do about the cataract in my right eye (NHS cataract work has been contracted out here so I was at a small private clinic). She explained that the NHS would pay for my assessment, for a simple monofocal replacement lens and for the surgical procedure to suck out my old foggy lens and to slip the new one in, so the care would be ‘free at the point of use’.
She then went on to explain that that care would be adequate (my word) rather than best. The best care they could offer would involve a fancy (her word) lens which should give me an extended depth of field, bringing not only distant objects into focus but also ones which are closer, perhaps down to about arm’s length.
Given that it’s my sight, which matters to me, I’ll be going with the fancy lens. I realise it costs more than the simple one and I’m prepared to pay for it. I might have hoped that I’d only have to pay the difference in cost but no, I have to pay the full cost of the fancy lens. Furthermore I have to pay the full cost of everything else too, despite the assessment and the surgical procedure being essentially the same whatever lens I choose. The consultant said that that was the NHS’s rule and in her opinion it was very unfair (her words).
Thanks for that Graeme. Very helpful.
At my last eye test (July) the optician told me that I have cataracts forming in both eyes.
The one in the left eye is coming on in leaps and bounds and there is a discernible difference between the two.
I am not sure if I am at an operable point yet but if I go for the new fancy lens I will also need the lens in my specs changed.
Then the whole thing again when the right eye needs doing.
Or maybe if going private just get the right lens done at the same time.
My mother just had both hers done with a few months between. Similar to above nhs farm it out to a place that just does cataract all day long. Although no mention of a batter lense for her.
She did have to have laser after the first one as she got some fogging. But this was included under the nhs.
Just spoken to a mate who had the NHS job done, they never do both at the same time as they cover the eye and send you home with it covered for a few hours.
You could never be sure of getting the right bus if they did both!
That’s OK then. In that case fitting corrective lenses only makes sence if your prescription isn’t going to change for ten years or so. If it isn’t, i still don’t get why they wont fit corrective ones, the price difference would be peanuts compared to the actual Op surely.
Similar rules in dentistry, you can have this really shit partial dent that is a pain in the ass to live with, if you want an insert to anchor it pay for the lot yourself.
In insurance terms ours betterment, but even car insurance companies only make you pay the betterment element.
There are different types of cataracts and depending on the kind you have, you might be more suited to one type of surgery or the other.
Age-Related
The most common type of cataracts in the UK are those that are age-related. They affect around one-third of the population at some point in their life and the older you are, the more likely you are to develop them.
A Symptom of Another Condition
Cataracts can sometimes develop as a result of another condition. Although less common than other types, a person might have cataracts if they have diabetes or have had problems with drug or alcohol abuse. They are also more common in short-sightedpatients.
Had both my eyes done (separately) via NHS farmed out to SpaMedica. Was offered corrective lenses but decided that not worth it as I still only need readers. No idea if this was correct decision. Find the main benefit is in colour perception, e.g. can see difference between blacks that are very dark brown, and blacks that are very dark blue. Good luck either way.
Not really the same. There’s a lot more surgery for an insert than for a denture I think. But in the case of cataract lenses I believe the surgical element is essentially identical. The NHS will pay for it if the surgeon slips a basic lens in but they won’t pay for it if she slips a fancy lens in, even though the patient has paid separately for the lens. It beats me why, and she says it beats her too.
Incidentally I don’t know if this rule applies to the whole NHS or just to my local wing (?) of it, postcode-lottery stylee.
Again I don’t know for sure, but I believe not. The basic lens isn’t too pricey but fancy lenses can cost of order a thousand pounds each. This guy claims that the actual cost of the lens itself accounts for at least a third of his £4.5k fee.
Looks like I am covered for private cataract surgery under work contributory health scheme.
(I have been paying in for 9 years without a claim)
Will have to investigate what sort of cover and if I can get corrective lenses included or if it is possible to pay the supplement.
As I understand it the corrective lenses come in lots of different types. The one recommended to me simply gives me ‘extended depth of field’.
There are even fancier ones which claim to be able to correct the need for reading glasses too - so patients can be ‘spectacles free’ after the procedure. My consultant told me that these aren’t recommended for diabetics though. She skirted round the detail but basically the problem is that diabetics are at risk of retinal haemorrhages which can leave small blind spots on the retina. The more complex multifocal lenses somehow rely on having a big enough fully-functional area of retina for them to make distinct sharp images for the different object distances, then somehow the brain learns to sort out the result. If a diabetic should lose some part of the retina then the lens will have a region of object distances over which it will no longer work. So these types of lenses are out for me. But to be honest I’m fine with reading glasses anyway so I didn’t push it.
I forgot to say that I have lost vision in my left eye owing to an ischemic event. Couple that with (at the time) type 2 diabetes and caution seemed the watchword. One is better off without the cataracts. Any further enhancements are a bonus that need to be decided on an individual basis. Sorry not to be more helpful.
I would be happy to get rid of glasses for driving, playing golf, doing anything outside in the rain to be honest. Happy with readers for anything closer than arms length.
I am type 2 Diabetic so will certainly follow advice but not looking for a spectacle free solution.
