Letter setting out NHS optical voucher values and hospital eye service maximum charges from 1 April 2025
Published 24 March 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-optical-voucher-values-and-hospital-eye-service-charges-from-april-2025/letter-setting-out-nhs-optical-voucher-values-and-hospital-eye-service-maximum-charges-from-1-april-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 The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.
Hospital eye service maximum charges from 1 April 2025
From 1 April 2025 the hospital eye service maximum charges will continue to be:
- £75.85 for single vision glasses
- £123.34 for all other lenses for glasses
- £61.77 per contact lens
These fees were set out in the NHS (Charges for Optical Appliances) Directions 2024 on the NHS general ophthalmic service fees and optical voucher values from April 2024 page, which remain in force.
Yours faithfully,
Alette Addison
Deputy Director - Pharmacy and Eye Care Services
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. | £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 | £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. | £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 | £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 | £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 | £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 | £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 | £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 | £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 | £61.77 |
Supplements values
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| Prism (per lens) - single vision | £13.67 |
| Prism (per lens) - any other | £16.67 |
| Tints or photochromic lens supplement (per lens) - single vision | £4.77 |
| Tints or photochromic lens supplement (per lens) - any other | £5.28 |
| Small glasses supplement | £69.60 |
| Supplement for special facial characteristics | £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 | £15.81 |
| Complex lens voucher - any other complex appliance | £40.57 |
Repair and replacement values
| Voucher band | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lens | £13.17 | £24.10 | £39.04 | £98.17 | £28.52 | £38.33 | £52.21 | £108.75 | 100.76 |
| 2 lenses | £26.34 | £48.20 | £78.08 | £196.34 | £57.04 | £76.66 | 104.42 | £217.50 | £201.52 |
| Front of frame | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 | £13.47 |
| Side of frame | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 | £7.98 |
| Whole frame | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 | £16.06 |
Repairs where the small glasses supplement or special facial characteristics supplement applies
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| Front of the frame | £61.77 |
| Side of the frame | £33.35 |
| Whole of the frame | £69.60 |
Replacement - contact lenses
If only one of a pair of contact lenses is replaced the voucher value is £61.77. These provisions for contact lenses only apply to clinically necessary contact lenses prescribed by the HES or NHS trust.