Contact lenses

Speak to your clinician when you attend the clinic for your booked appointment. Alternatively, if you cannot wait until your next appointment, please phone the contact lens orders service (see contact details on first page) to explain what the problem is. Please do not turn up to the clinic without an appointment as there is no guarantee that you will be seen.

If your eye suddenly becomes red, painful or your vision worsens, you should:

• contact our virtual A&E platform and register for the virtual waiting room, or
• go to Moorfields A&E department in City Road (for emergency eye problems only) or 
• your local eye casualty, if closer.

Please make sure you remove your lens immediately and do not wear your lens until you have been told it is safe to do so.

When visiting A&E

You will first be reviewed by an experienced ophthalmic-trained triage nurse at reception, who will decide if you need urgent attention.

When you are seen, it is important to let staff know if you are wearing an extended wear lens (e.g. regular overnight wear) or a bandage (therapeutic) contact lens. 

Please note that A&E does not provide contact lenses or contact lens solutions. 

Statutory NHS patient charges or exemptions arrangements apply and these charges are updated annually on 1 April each year. The current prices are available from the contact lens clinic.

• The payment is for one standard replacement contact lens (or where appropriate, six months supply of daily or monthly disposable lenses)
• If lenses are to be posted, there is a charge for all patients.

The same charges apply for replacement lenses or if a lens breaks outside the three-month manufacturer’s warranty period (this does not affect your statutory rights).

Please note that lenses will not be ordered until payment or proof of exemption has been seen.

• Patients who have proof of a qualifying benefit (our cashiers department can advise)
• Patients requiring a lens as a "bandage" or “prosthesis”
• Children under 16, or 16 to 19 years and in full-time education
• Patients not in receipt of an eligible benefit can apply to the NHS Business Services Authority for a contribution to the cost of their lenses using an HC1 form, which can be obtained directly from the authority (0300 3301 343) or from Moorfields’ cashiers office on the ground floor at the City Road hospital
• Patients who need their contact lenses to be changed for clinical reasons within a specific time of payment

Someone who is exempt from standard charges, but repeatedly breaks or loses lenses will be charged for replacements (this does not affect your statutory rights).

To avoid the problems of contact lens loss, we advise that you keep a spare.

Costs can be given at your appointment in clinic and are reviewed annually. You can also get this information by contacting the contact lens orders department (see contact details on first page).

Please note that all patients are charged for the cost for spares, and this is not covered by any exemptions. The cost of a spare lens is not necessarily the same as the statutory NHS charge which is subsidised.

We must receive a referral letter, either from your GP, an ophthalmologist at Moorfields or another hospital.

If you are able to wear your lenses for at least 2 hours prior to your appointment this would be ideal, as we would like to review the effect the lenses have on your eyes.

Please advise our appointment clerks in advance if you know that you cannot keep an appointment so that an alternative date can be arranged (020 7566 2475).

Patients will be discharged if they fail to attend two consecutive contact lens clinic appointments or if they are not seen for more than 15 months.

• If you are not a current patient, you will not be able to obtain contact lenses or contact lens solutions from the hospital, nor can you be seen in the clinic unless you are re-referred by your doctor
• If you are discharged from the hospital and continue to wear contact lenses, it is essential that you are under the care of a contact lens practitioner

Contact lenses are provided at Moorfields only when there is a medical need. Usually this is when vision cannot be improved with spectacles but can be improved with contact lenses. The contact lens clinical staff at Moorfields will assess eligibility. Examples of eligibility include some disorders of the cornea, high prescriptions (over +10.00DS/-15.00DS) and "bandage" lenses.

You will be assessed in the contact lens clinic to ensure that you are suitable and eligible for lenses. The lens type will be selected according to your medical need. The lenses are often specially made, so you will usually require a separate appointment to have the lenses issued and to receive instruction on lens care and lens handling.

Please use one of the following methods to contact the contact lens orders department:

• Email: moorfields.contactlenses@nhs.net
• Phone: 020 7566 2100
• Write to us at Contact Lens Orders, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD, UK
• Visit us at clinic 4, contact lens reception (Monday to Friday, 9am– 4.45pm)

If you contact our team via email we will send you an email from WorldPay which will include a link for you to complete your order.

This depends on the complexity of the lens and the individual manufacturer, but typically:

• Rigid gas permeable (corneal) lenses take two to six weeks
• Scleral contact lenses take six to eight weeks
• Cosmetic soft contact lenses take two to six weeks.

The hospital can supply a copy of your contact lens specifications once your contact lens fitting is complete. This is usually after you have been reviewed in the clinic, wearing the lenses for a minimum of three months after issue.

• One month’s solutions can be supplied on prescription at each scheduled contact lens clinic appointment. The prescription is only available to collect from the hatch by the Contact Lens Clinic. Each item incurs the standard NHS prescription charge
• Patients are able to purchase additional supplies from the hatch by the Contact Lens Clinic.
• Unfortunately, solutions may not be prescribed outside appointments.
• Extra solutions can be ordered and posted outside of appointments to a UK address. Please note that a postage charge per item will be applied to the invoice, as well as the cost of the item ordered.
• If you need solution urgently all of those we prescribe are available either in high street opticians, pharmacies or online.

Patients are taught how to handle and look after their contact lenses and detailed written instructions are provided.

You can also view videos on how to insert, remove and care for contact lenses.  

No – your GP can prescribe eye medication, but is prohibited from prescribing contact lens solutions.

We do not recommend you contact lenses whilst swimming. 

Prescription swimming goggles are available. 

If contact lenses cannot be avoided while swimming, we recommend air tight swimming goggles with daily disposable lenses which are removed shortly after swimming (wait a few minutes as the lenses can sometimes tighten up and be difficult to remove straight away) and disposed of.