Contact Lens Services
Types of contact lenses
There are several different types of contact lenses to choose from, most are "soft" but occasionally a more rigid type of lens called RGPs are used. Contact lenses can be further subdivided into:
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Daily Disposable Lenses, where a new pair is worn each day and thrown away at the end of that day.
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Monthly Disposable Lenses, where a pair is kept for a month, and kept in a case at night or any other time they are not worn.
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Extended Wear (EW) Lenses. These are similar to Monthly Disposable lenses, but they are licensed for full-time wear, including when the wearer is asleep.
The Contact Lens-fitting process
The process of fitting a new wearer with contact lenses involves four stages:
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Initial Fit. The first step is for the optometrist to determine the patient's suitability for contact lenses, the correct lens type, lens powers and fit.
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Teach. Once the correct lenses for the patient have been determined, the next step is to teach the patient how to insert and remove the lenses, and all other required information about contact lens wear.
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Trial. Once the patient is able to insert and remove the lenses themselves, they can take a pair of lenses to try for 1-2 weeks.
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End-of-Trial Check. At the end of the trial, the patient has another contact check to assess how well they are managing with the lenses. If they are happy with them, the fitting process is complete. If they are not happy with them, different lenses can be tried.
Contact Lens Check
Regular contact lens checks are essential to minimise the risk of complications and ensure your lenses are always the optimum power and type. Every contact lens wearer is required to have a check at least once per year. A contact lens check includes the following:
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Assessment of any symptoms that may be present, such as discomfort or red, dry or itchy eyes.
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Assessment of the patient's level of vision with the current lenses, and whether the lens powers need updating.
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Assessment of how well the lenses fit the patient's eyes.
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Assessment of the health of the front of the eyes.
Our All-Inclusive Scheme
Becoming a member of our all-inclusive contact lens scheme involves an initial payment (which includes all of the fitting work described above), followed by an ongoing monthly payment. As a member of our scheme you will receive the following:
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All contact lenses, solutions (if desired), and cases (if needed).
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Unlimited contact lens checks.
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Regular eye tests.
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10% discount on glasses.
Tutorial Video
If you wish to become a contact lens wearer, you must first learn how to insert and remove lenses. The following video from Coopervision, our primary contact lens supplier, provides a step-by-step guide to inserting and removing contact lenses.