Free NHS Eye Tests in Wrexham
Who is entitled to a free eye test from the NHS?
- Under-16s.
- Under-19s in full-time education.
- You’re under 18 and you are a care leaver or are in the care of a Local Authority.
- Over-60s.
- People (or partners of people) who receive certain benefits.
- Holders (or partners of holders) of an exemption certificate (HC2).
- People who need certain complex lenses.
- People diagnosed diabetic or with glaucoma.
- People aged 40 or over who are the brother, sister or child of a diagnosed glaucoma patient.
- You are at risk of developing eye disease based on ethnicity.
- You are reliant on only one eye for seeing (you are uniocular).
- You are hearing impaired, even with the use of hearing aids.
- You have Retinitis Pigmentosa.
For further details about eligibility for free eye tests please visit the NHS Wales website.
Everyone should have an eye examination every two years as it is a vital health check. If you are eligible for free NHS eye examinations, and it is less than two years since your last test, then you should check with your optician when you make an appointment to find out if you can have another free NHS eye examination. The NHS will routinely pay for more frequent eye examinations for certain groups of people – for example:
- if you have diabetes
- if you are aged 40 or over and have a family history of glaucoma
- if you are over 70
- or if you are having particular problems with your vision
If it is less than two years since your last test and you have any concerns about your vision or eye health, then give us a call to find out if you may be eligible for a free NHS eye examination or a Welsh Eye Care Examination (see below).
Welsh Eye Care Service
The Welsh Eye Care Initiative (WECI) was set up in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly with the intention of preserving sight through the early detection of disease.
Currently this has two elements to it; firstly the Eye Health Examination which gives a free eye health examination to those who are at higher risk of eye disease through race or family history, or those who would find the loss of their vision in one eye disabling such as the profoundly deaf, or people with only one eye. The examination is more extensive than a normal sight test, and involves drops being put into the eyes to better examine the back of the eye.
The other part to the Eye Health Examination is the WGOS Examinations for Urgent Eye Problems which enables the optometrist to perform the most suitable examination in response to an acute eye problem such as sudden vision loss, a red or painful eye.
In addition, any GP located in Wales can refer a patient to an accredited optometrist for examination under this scheme. We will endeavour to see any patient requesting a WGOS Examination for Urgent Eye Problems within 24 hours.
For more details you can visit the NHS Wales website.
