Guidance

Letter setting out NHS optical voucher values and hospital eye service maximum charges from 1 April 2025

Published 24 March 2025

Summary

I am writing to notify you of:

  • NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2025
  • the hospital eye service maximum charges from 1 April 2025

Please could you bring this information to the attention of all staff dealing with general ophthalmic services, the hospital eye service, optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.

NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2025

From 1 April 2025, NHS optical voucher values will remain unchanged from the voucher values introduced on 1 April 2024. Current voucher values are at Annex A. These values were set out in .

Hospital eye service maximum charges from 1 April 2025

From 1 April 2025 the hospital eye service maximum charges will continue to be:

  • 拢75.85 for single vision glasses
  • 拢123.34 for all other lenses for glasses
  • 拢61.77 per contact lens

These fees were set out in the聽NHS (Charges for Optical Appliances) Directions 2024 on the NHS general ophthalmic service fees and optical voucher values from April 2024聽page, which remain in force.

Yours faithfully,

Alette Addison
Deputy Director - Pharmacy and Eye Care 天美影院

Annex A

Optical voucher values

Type of optical appliance Value
A. Glasses with single vision lenses of a spherical power of not more than 6 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 2 dioptres. 拢42.40
B. Glasses with single vision lenses: (a) of a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres; (b) of a spherical power of less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres 拢64.26
C. Glasses with single vision lenses of a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but not more than 14 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres. 拢94.14
D. Glasses with single vision lenses: (a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) of a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power 拢212.40
E. Glasses with bifocal lenses of a spherical power of not more than 6 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 2 dioptres 拢73.10
F. Glasses with bifocal lenses: (a) of a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres; (b) of a spherical power of less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres 拢92.72
G. Glasses with bifocal lenses of a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but not more than 14 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres 拢120.48
H. Glasses with prism-controlled bifocal lenses of any power or with bifocal lenses: (a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) with a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power 拢233.56
I. Hospital eye service (HES) glasses not falling within any of paragraphs A to H for which a prescription is given in consequence of a testing of sight by an NHS trust 拢217.58
J. Contact lenses for which a prescription is given in consequences of a sight test by an NHS trust or NHS foundation trust 拢61.77

Supplements values

Type Value
Prism (per lens) - single vision 拢13.67
Prism (per lens) - any other 拢16.67
Tints or photochromic lens supplement (per lens) - single vision 拢4.77
Tints or photochromic lens supplement (per lens) - any other 拢5.28
Small glasses supplement 拢69.60
Supplement for special facial characteristics 拢69.60

Help available for individuals not eligible for vouchers

Complex lens vouchers are available to patients who have a complex prescription (plus or minus 10 or more) but are not eligible for an optical voucher.

Type Value
Complex lens voucher - single vision 拢15.81
Complex lens voucher - any other complex appliance 拢40.57

Repair and replacement values

Voucher band A B C D E F G H I
1 lens 拢13.17 拢24.10 拢39.04 拢98.17 拢28.52 拢38.33 拢52.21 拢108.75 100.76
2 lenses 拢26.34 拢48.20 拢78.08 拢196.34 拢57.04 拢76.66 104.42 拢217.50 拢201.52
Front of frame 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47 拢13.47
Side of frame 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98 拢7.98
Whole frame 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06 拢16.06

Repairs where the small glasses supplement or special facial characteristics supplement applies

Type Value
Front of the frame 拢61.77
Side of the frame 拢33.35
Whole of the frame 拢69.60

Replacement - contact lenses

If only one of a pair of contact lenses is replaced the voucher value is 拢61.77. These provisions for contact lenses only apply to clinically necessary contact lenses prescribed by the HES or NHS trust.