Contact Lens Clinics

Patient information       

 

 

Introduction

Contact lens clinics are run by the optometrists who are only in the hospital on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The bandage contact lens service is run by a different department (Ophthalmology) by a Specialist Nurse.

Please remember to bring your contact lenses, contact lens case, contact lens solutions, any spectacles for distance and near viewing, your list of medication (if it has changed) and information about any allergies to your contact lens appointments.

 

Who is eligible?

A list of eye conditions eligible for contact lens fitting at Dudley Group NHS is details in the leaflet “Eligibility for Hospital Contact Lenses”.

 

To remain eligible for the service, even if you are under the care of an ophthalmologist, you must ensure we have your up-to-date sight test prescription which you can email to dgft.contactlenses@nhs.net.

If you had your last contact lens appointment elsewhere, please also email the corresponding contact lens prescription.

 

Ordering Contact Lenses

The best way to order a replacement contact lens is to email us on dgft.contactlenses@nhs.net stating which eye(s) you need contact lenses for and the quantity required.

 

You can also include proof of eligible benefits in your email if you are exempt from paying for your lenses. A list of eligible benefits can be found here https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/. Please note that spare lenses are chargeable. Try not to lose your contact lenses as you will be charged for replacements if your lenses were expected to last longer, even if you are usually exempt from paying for lenses.

 

Costs of contact lenses

1. £61.77 per rigid gas permeable (hard) contact lens.
2. £61.77 per soft contact lens, or enough soft lenses to last 6 months.

The department provides trial packs of contact lens solutions, after which you will need to buy the recommended contact lens solutions and recommended contact lens products yourself.

 

Paying for your contact lenses

You can pay for your contact lenses one of three ways. Please quote as many letters of your surname as you can and your date of birth as the payment reference.

1. Bank transfer

Bank: NatWest, RBS European Operations Centre, Brampton Road, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 0QX.
Sort code: 60-70-80
Account number 10010440
IBAN Number: GB55NWBK60708010010440
BIC: NWBKGB2L
Account name: Dudley Grp Hosp NHSFT

2. Telephone

You can ring the General Office and pay by card over the phone on: 01384 456111 ext 2872.

3. In person at General Office.

Enter through the hospital main entrance and turn left after the volunteer’s desk. Opening times: Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm.

 

Collecting your contact lenses

When your contact lenses arrive at the hospital, you will receive a telephone call, text message or email to ask you to collect them between Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm. We cannot take responsibility for contact lenses lost in the post.

 

Contacting the department

If you have any payment issues, queries or non-urgent concerns you can contact the Orthoptic Clerical Assistant in the Orthoptic Department on 01384 456111 ext. 3636 or you can email us on dgft.contactlenses@nhs.net.

To change your appointment, please contact the booking team on 01384 365100 option 2.

 

Here are some useful tips for safe contact lens wear: 

• Do not wear contact lenses if you have cold sores or an active respiratory infection.
• Ensure you have discussed with your ophthalmologist or optometrist if you need to use your eye medication whilst wearing contact lenses. Generally speaking, contact lenses should be left out for 10 minutes after using medicated eye drops. You must not skip prescribed doses of your medicated eye drops.
• Any lubricant eye drops suitable for use with contact lenses should be continued during contact lens wear.
• Read the product packaging when you purchase contact lens solutions.
• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling your lenses.
• YOU MUST NOT ALLOW TAP WATER TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH YOUR CONTACT LENS OR CONTACT LENS CASE.
• Label contact lens solutions with the date opened so they can be discarded when expired.
• Discard unopened out of date contact lens solution.
• Check contact lenses for discolouration, clouding or damage before insertion.
• You can use contact lens saline or sterile saline to rinse your contact lens before insertion, but this is not for storing or disinfecting lenses.
• If you wear scleral contact lenses, you need to fill the lens with preservative free 0.9% saline solution (also known as 0.9% sodium chloride solution) supplied by a pharmacy before insertion.
• Use a clean, soft tissue from a tissue box and multipurpose contact lens solution to clean your contact lens case and lid, after inserting your contact lenses.
• Your contact lens case should be replaced monthly.
• If you do not know how long you can safely wear your contact lenses for, you must ring and ask the department and not exceed the recommended duration of wear.
• Sleeping in contact lenses ALWAYS increases the risk of infection, for ALL people significantly and should be avoided, unless under very specialist direction.
• Do not swim or shower in contact lenses, even with goggles. You may be able to purchase prescription swimming goggles cheaply depending on your glasses’ prescription. Prescription diving goggles are also available.
• Discuss with your optometrist if you want to do an activity with your contact lenses in that may pose a risk to infection.
• Rub your contact lenses after use with a compatible contact lens cleaning solution and rinse with contact lens saline or sterile saline if required to. Alternatively rub your lenses with a compatible multipurpose contact lens solution.
• If you are not sure about compatible products with your specific contact lenses and how to use them ring the department for advice.
• Some products are not intended for direct contact with the eyes such as Boston cleaner, Totalcare Cleaner or Ote cleaner. Hydrogen peroxide-based contact lens solutions e.g. AOSept or Oxysept, must be neutralised for a minimum time before contact lens wear resumes. The products’ packaging should state first aid and emergency advice in-case of direct contact with the eyes.
• Store your contact lenses in multipurpose contact lens solution made for your lens type i.e. soft or rigid gas permeable lenses.
• Do not allow your contact lenses to sit in solution for more than a week without cleaning them, even if you have not worn them.
• Rigid gas permeable lenses and scleral contact lenses can be stored dry, but are more comfortable if soaked in multipurpose contact lens solution for 24 hours before use.
• If soft lenses inadvertently dry out, do not rehydrate them to wear.
• If you cannot see well without contact lenses, we recommend purchasing a spares at £61.77 per eye.

 

More information about safe contact lens wear can be found at: http://bcla.org.uk/Public/Consumer/Important_dos_and_dont_s_of_contact_lens_wear.aspx

 

If your eyes do not look or feel good, do not wear your contact lenses and seek emergency medical advice.

Very short list of contact lens solutions

Discuss with your optometrist the best place for you to buy appropriate products for your contact lenses conveniently. The following list has been compiled to give some examples of products widely available and does not constitute a recommendation.

 

Morisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s sell own brand contact lens solution suitable for all lens types, as pictured below. Quattro contact lens solution can also be used on all lens types. “All lens types” means that the solution can be used on rigid gas permeable (hard) and soft contact lenses. “Multipurpose” or “multiuse” contact lens solution is convenient as one solution disinfects, stores and wets your contact lenses prior to insertion.

 

Sainsbury’s Health Matters All-In-One Contact Lens Solution 250ml & 100ml

 

 

Boston Simplus is a widely available multipurpose contact lens solution for rigid gas permeable lenses only. It must not be used on soft contact lenses.

There are many more contact lens solutions available both in retail stores and online. The solutions pictured in this leaflet are all “1 step” contact lens solutions which disinfect your lenses, reducing the microbial load.

“2 step” peroxide contact lens solutions are available for rigid gas permeable and soft contact lenses, should you want to sterilise your lenses after use rather than just disinfect them. However, you must follow the instructions carefully as un-neutralised peroxide is immediately harmful to the eye.

Similarly “2 step” rigid gas permeable contact lens solutions containing a separate cleaner and conditioner, such as Boston Advance and Totalcare, are available but you must not get the “cleaner” directly in your eye.

You can make an appointment with the department to run through the instructions if you are unsure.

Please keep to the same contact lens regimen and products, unless you develop an allergy or supply issue, in which case get in touch with your optometrist immediately to discuss the best alternative options.

 

Protein remover products

Over time your contact lenses may become deposited with protein, naturally present in your tears. Protein can stubbornly adhere to lenses requiring a chemical agent to remove it.

Amiclair protein tablets are very convenient to use with soft and rigid gas permeable (hard) contact lenses once or twice a week. Please read the instructions before use and speak to our contact lens team if you do not understand how to use them.

Preservative free saline (also known as sodium chloride)

Vials of sterile preservative free saline containing sodium chloride at a concentration of 0.9% (which matches the salt content of human tears) is required to fill larger contact lenses, called semi scleral or scleral contact lenses. Vials should be discarded immediately after use. Examples of these products are below.

You may find larger bottles of contact lens saline available labelled as preservative-free. Please be aware that these contain buffering agents which some patients may become sensitive or allergic to with long term use.

 

Eye emergencies

If you develop new symptoms, not limited to:

• Increased redness of the eyes
• White, yellow or watery discharge
• Eyelids stuck on waking
• Light sensitivity
• Eye pain
• Blurriness, distortion of window frames, door frames or text
• Missing parts of your vision
• New flashing lights in your vision
• New floaters in your vision
• Diplopia

then you must seek immediate emergency advice from an eye-care professional, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, or an Accident and Emergency Doctor/Nurse Practitioner. Do not just buy eye drops from a pharmacy.

In case of an eye emergency during working hours, you can contact the Urgent Referral Clinic team at Russells Hall Hospital Eye Clinic on: 01384 456111 ext. 3633 (9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday).

 

Alternatively, you can contact one of the opticians involved in the Minor Eye Conditions Scheme (MECS). There is a comprehensive list at www.eyecarewm.co.uk.

 

Birmingham Midland Eye Centre (BMEC), City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham, B18 7QH, operates a walk-in service covering longer hours between Monday to Saturday: 9am-7pm and Sunday and Bank Holidays: 9am-6pm. You can request to speak to the on-call ophthalmologist on 0121 507 4440 outside of these hours. (Please note: City Hospital no longer has an Accident and Emergency Department (A+E) on site. Their A+E department is at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Grove Lane, Smethwick, B66 2QT.)

 

In Wolverhampton, The Eye Infirmary at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton Road, Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP, operate a walk-in service Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00am and Saturday to Sunday 8:00am to 4:00am. You can call the triage team directly at 01902 695805 or 01902 695800 before traveling.

 

Further queries

We are always happy to answer any questions regarding your treatment. If after reading this leaflet you still have concerns or questions, please call the department on: Tel: 01384 456111 ext. 3636.

 

If there is anything you do not understand, or you are concerned or worried about any part of your treatment, please contact the Urgent Referral Clinic team at Russells Hall Hospital Eye Clinic on

01384 456111 ext. 3633 (9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday).

Alternatively, out of hours, visit an eye casualty or accident and emergency department.

 

Note: the information in this booklet is provided for information only. The information found is not a substitute for professional medical advice or care by a qualified doctor or other healthcare professional. Always check with your optometrist if you have any concerns about your condition or treatment. This leaflet contains only indicative and general information regarding contact lenses. Individual experiences may vary and all the points may not apply to all patients at all times. Please discuss your individual circumstances with your optometrist.

 

Authors: Rose Wright and Nicky Ferguson,
Highly Specialist Optometrists

 

For further information visit: www.orthoptics.org.uk/patients-and-public/

This leaflet can be downloaded or printed from: http://dgft.nhs.uk/services-and-wards/ophthalmology/

 

 

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on (01384) 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

 

 

 

Contact Lenses CS/RW/NF/DP/09.2026/v4 – review 06.2029 – DGH ref.: DGH/PIL/02027