Optical Consumer
Complaints Service
Frequently Asked Questions -
What is ‘astigmatism’?
Astigmatism is when the front of the eye (the cornea) is not a perfectly curved shape and has an irregular curve. The cornea is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football. This means the light rays that come into the eye do not focus properly on the retina at the back of the eye and may create a blurred image.
What do the plus or minus numbers on my prescription under the headings ‘Sph’, ‘Cyl’ and ‘Axis’ mean?
Numbers relate to your right (R) or left (L) eye and the positive or plus sign under ‘Sph’ (Sphere) means that the eye is long-sighted. A negative or minus sign means that the eye is short-sighted. The number is the correction prescribed by the sight tester and measured in ‘dioptres’. ‘Cyl’ (Cylinder) describes the shape of your eye and measures astigmatism and can be a plus or minus number depending on how the sight-tester chooses to write it. ‘Axis’ will be a number between 0 and 180 to describe the angle in degrees at which the astigmatism is.
Am I entitled to a free sight test?
You are entitled to a sight test paid for by the NHS, if:
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you are under 16 years of age,
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you are 16, 17, or 18, and in full-
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you are 60 or over,
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you have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma,
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you are 40 or over, and your mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter has been diagnosed with glaucoma,
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an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) has advised you that you are at risk of glaucoma,
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you are registered as blind or partially sighted,
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you are prescribed complex lenses – these are lenses with a power of 10 dioptres or more, or prism controlled bifocal lenses,
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your sight tests are usually done through a hospital eye department, as part of your care for an existing eye condition, or
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you are a war pensioner and you need the sight test because of a disability for which you get a war pension.
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if you or your partner receive: income Support, income-
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if you’re entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate.
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If you’re eligible for help with NHS costs under the NHS Low Income Scheme, you can claim some or all of the cost of sight tests for you, your partner and your children.
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