NHS community eyecare

All NHS eye examinations (eye tests) are free in Scotland if you:

usually live in the UK
are a refugee
are an asylum seeker
in some cases, are an eligible overseas visitor

Regular free eye examinations

You should get your eyes examined regularly by an optometrist (optician). This is important even if you don’t think you have a problem with your vision.

An NHS eye examination in Scotland tests more than just your sight. It also:

checks the health of your eyes
looks for signs of other health problems

In some cases, it means that any problems with your eyes can be found before they become more serious.

How often should I have my eyes checked?

Category of patient	Maximum frequency of eye examinations
Patients aged under 16 years or 60 years and over	Once a year
Patients aged between 16 years and 59 years	Once every 2 years
Patients with diabetes	Once a year
Patients who are sight impaired or severely sight impaired	Once a year

Emergency eye problems and eye conditions

If you have an eye problem, go to your local optometry practice first.

Find your local optometry practice

Supplementary eye examinations

If your optometrist decides it’s needed, you can still have your eyes examined for free at any time between your regular 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

NHS optical vouchers

Help towards the cost of buying glasses or contact lenses

An NHS optical voucher helps towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses. If you’re entitled to help towards the cost of prescription glasses or contact lenses, you can get an optical voucher. Your partner and children will also be entitled to a voucher if they are included in your benefit award.

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

You can also get a voucher if you get, or are included in an award of someone getting:

Income Support
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
Pension Credit Guarantee Credit paid on its own or with Savings Credit
Universal Credit (UC), if you meet the eligibility criteria

You can also get a voucher if you are:

entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate. If you are getting Working Tax Credit and/or Child Tax Credit, you may be entitled to help, depending on your income
named on a valid HC2 certificate issued under the NHS Low Income Scheme

If you’re eligible, let your optometrist know. They’ll organise your optical voucher.

Read further information for refugees and asylum seekers who may be eligible to receive a NHS optical voucher

Partial help towards the cost of buying glasses or contact lenses

If you’re named on a valid HC3 certificate issued under the NHS Low Income Scheme, you might get some help. If your glasses or contact lenses cost more than your voucher value, you’ll have to pay the difference.

War pensioners

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 The Treatment Group Veterans Agency.

The address is:

Norcross
Blackpool
FY5 3WP

You can get a pre-paid addressed envelope from some Post Offices.

Help towards the cost of repairing or replacing glasses or contact lenses

You can get a voucher towards the cost of repair or replacement of glasses or contact lenses if you’re under 16.

If you’re 16 or over you may be entitled to a voucher towards the cost of repair or replacement, if all of the following apply:

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

If your glasses or contact lenses cost more than your voucher value, you’ll have to pay the difference.

Refunds

If you want to claim a refund of NHS optical charges, 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. An HC5 form is available from Jobcentre Plus offices, NHS hospitals, or your optometry practice may have one. It’s also available online.

Complete the HC5 form and send it off. Make sure you include 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, including 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, refunds are only available if the loss or damage was due to illness or disability.