Welsh Eye Care Scheme
You can have an eye examination for free if you have an eye problem that occurs suddenly. Under the Eye Health Examination Wales (EHEW) initiative you are entitled to have your eyes examined free of charge by a registered optometrist if you have an eye problem that occurred suddenly (acutely) which you think requires urgent attention.
Patients with an acute problem with their eye or vision can be seen for the following issues:
- Minor eye injury
- Red eye
- Painful eye
- Foreign body
- Sudden loss/ change in vision
- New onset flashes/ floaters
You can self-refer to a local optometrist without the need to see a GP
You can also have an EHEW if you:
- have been referred by your GP to an EHEW registered optometrist because of an eye problem
- have sight in one eye only, i.e. you are effectively blind in your worse eye
- have a hearing impairment and are profoundly deaf
- suffer from retinitis pigmentosa
- have Black African, Black Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi family origins
- are at risk of eye disease by other reasons of race or family history.
Emergencies or when you’re worried about changes in your sight
If you have any concerns at all about your eyes, contact your high street optician (optometrist) straightaway. The practice will advise you if you are eligible for a free eye health examination under the EHEW Service. Some eye diseases can lead to sight loss, but if diseases are detected early enough, sight loss can often be avoided.
An eye health examination is just that – an examination of the health of your eyes. The optician (optometrist) will carefully examine your eyes to see if anything is wrong using specialist equipment. An eye health examination is more in-depth than and different to a routine sight test, so it may take longer.
If the optician (optometrist) decides that you need an eye health examination, then this is an NHS funded free service. If medication is needed often this can be provided by an Independent Prescribing optometrist or through the National Common Ailments Scheme by your local pharmacy. For the National Common Ailments Scheme, there are criteria that need to be met for supply through this Service and a consultation with a pharmacist will be needed before medication can be issued.