Making Accurate Claims

To check current eligibility for NHS sight tests and vouchers go to the NHS website.

The Department of Health's Memorandum of Understanding on the frequency of sight tests is also available for download, as is the Optical Confederation's "Making Accurate Claims".

Additional advice on second pairs and non-tolerances was issued in April 2018. Please download the relevant documents.

A new process for authorisation of adult GOS4 claims commenced in November 2018. Update June 2020 - requests may now be emailed, from another nhs.net address to [email protected]. See the NHSBSA website for more information.

Additional guidance on the small glasses supplement was issued in June 2019, and is available to download from this page.

Remember that the GOS only pays for a 'sight test', and only if it is clinically necessary. Therefore if the patient attends with an eye problem but does not require a sight test, this is not covered by the GOS, and the patient would need to be seen privately (or referred). Download (right) the March 2011 rules and regulations on sight testing and contact lens fitting and supply for more information.

Update July 2015: The AOP has recently issued a booklet on GOS sight tests, and updated its advice regarding flashes & floaters. Their Clinical & Regulatory Officer has advised us that: "The official AOP view is that it should be possible to use GOS for seeing patients with flashes and floaters, but it is not advisable as the amount of work required to investigate these symptoms properly and issue advice, in addition to performing a full sight test, far exceeds the level of remuneration offered by GOS." In addition, there are ".... a number of optometric advisers who would reclaim GOS1s used for flashes and floaters".