Eligibility for Hospital Contact Lenses at Russell’s Hall Hospital

 Patient Information

The Optometrists and Ophthalmic Technicians at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust fit and supply contact lenses for patients diagnosed with one or more of the following:

1. Scarred or distorted cornea requiring:
   • soft contact lenses made for an irregular cornea
   • rigid gas permeable lenses
   • Semi or semi-scleral contact lenses.
2. Iris or pupil abnormalities requiring prosthetic contact lenses.
3. Intractable double vision requiring occlusive or prismatic contact lenses.

If you have a medical need for a zero-powered bandage contact lens supplied by Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, then these are fitted in a different service and you should ask to be referred to the Corneal Team in Ophthalmology.

The purpose of the eligibility criteria is to ensure that contact lens services within the NHS are used correctly and uniformly. If you do not meet any of the above criteria and want to wear contact lenses, please visit your Community Optometrist or Contact Lens Optician. There is a cost to have contact lenses supplied and fitted privately. Please attend your other ophthalmology and hospital appointments as normal.

If you require further help and support help and support you can contact your general practitioner, ophthalmologist or the following organisations:

RNIB helpline 0303 123 9999

RNIB website: https://www.rnib.org.uk/advice

UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association https://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk/

International glaucoma society helpline: 01233 648 170

Macular disease society helpline: 0300 3030 111

Keratoconus support group https://keratoconus-group.org.uk/

Emergency eye care can be sought from the urgent eye care department on 01384 456111 extension 3633, 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, or in case of an eye emergency after the closing hours of the Eye Clinic (including weekends and bank holidays), please contact the eye doctor on call by ringing the switchboard at:

Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre on 0121 507 4440

The doctor on call is usually based at the Eye Centre, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham. They may need to call you back, and if necessary, they will arrange for you to visit them.

Authors: Rose Wright and Nicky Ferguson,

Highly Specialist Optometrists

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.

Eligibility for hospital contact lenses RW/NF/DP/09.2026/v1 – review 06.2029