https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/wards-and-departments/departments/clinical-specialties/ophthalmology-information-parents-and-visitors/dispensing-optician/
Dispensing optician service
The Dispensing Opticians at GOSH provide a highly specialised opticians service for children and young people under the care of the hospital.
Our experienced team see infants and children with a wide range of conditions, often working alongside other specialties such as craniofacial, audiology, and dermatology teams.
We are an appointment only service and do not accept ‘walk-in’ patients.
Patients will be triaged in clinic and be advised appropriately by the prescribing clinician of where to have their spectacles dispensed based on their clinical need.
You will be advised on one of the following options:
Your child can be dispensed by the GOSH Dispensing Optician team
If you have been advised to get your child’s spectacles dispensed at GOSH due to their clinical need, you will be sent down to see the GOSH Dispensing team following your appointment on the same day (where possible).
If for any reason we are unable to see the patient on the same day as their main Ophthalmology appointment, you will be advised to contact us to book an appointment on a different day.
We are contactable either via email, or by telephone.
Email: glasses.dispensing@gosh.nhs.uk
- We aim to reply to emails within three working days
Phone: 0207 405 9200 extension 0631
- We aim to respond to voicemail messages within five working days
- Please leave a clear voicemail message with your child’s details (minimum name and date of birth or hospital number), a brief explanation of your query, and the best contact number to call you back on.
- We cannot respond to voicemail queries if the patients details are not left.
Your child can have their spectacles dispensed at their local Optician
If you have been advised that your child can have their spectacles dispensed at their local Optician you will be issued their prescription voucher according to the prescription found at their most recent GOSH Ophthalmology appointment.
You can take this to any local Opticians practice, (or an alternative hospital service if appropriate) for spectacle dispensing.
The voucher you are issued acts as a form of payment towards the glasses. The value of the voucher directly corresponds to the patient’s prescription – we cannot alter or increase the value of the voucher.
Practices reserve the right to charge fees for upgrades to lenses such as anti-reflective coatings, lens thinning, or photochromic lenses. They are also under no obligation to provide specialist frames fully covered by the hospital voucher. This means you may be charged an additional fee for some frames and/or lenses.
Frame availability at my local practice
The availability and range of frames will differ in each opticians and hospital, and they may not be able to provide the same colour or range of glasses as GOSH.
The Dispensing Optician at either the local Opticians practice or alternative Hospital may suggest and dispense a different type of frame to the ones you had previously – this is perfectly normal as our fitting needs change as we grow.
All Dispensing Opticians have expert knowledge surrounding frame fitting, lenses, measurements and paediatric dispensing. They will select an appropriate frame for your child and advise on lens options.
Your child can have their sight test performed at your local Optician
Please continue to attend your Ophthalmology appointments at GOSH in addition to having eye examinations done by your local optical practice. The Optometrist who performs the sight test at your local practice will be able to issue a voucher for spectacles if they require updating.
Additional information for patients and families
Spectacles dispensed by GOSH Dispensing Opticians
Please email the GOSH Dispensing team on glasses.dispensing@gosh.nhs.uk to advise us the spectacles are broken.
It is very helpful if you attach images of the broken spectacles so that we can see what part needs replacing.
You may be advised to post the broken spectacles in, or to see whether you can have the repair done at your local practice.
Under NHS policy the hospital must ‘replace the parts of the appliance which are damaged, rather than providing a whole new pair’.
Please do not use glue on any parts of the spectacles under any circumstance. If glue is used, you may be charged for the repair.
Repairs must be sent back to us clean and in a case including your child’s full name and GOSH number and return address. Please do not post in glasses without contacting us first.
Please send repairs via recorded delivery to:
Dispensing Optician G03
Ophthalmology
Sight and Sound Building
Great Ormond Street Hospital
London
WC1N 3JH
Spectacles dispensed by your local practice
Please take the broken spectacles back to your local practice where they will be able to advise you appropriately.
If your practice provides NHS services, repairs/replacements can be performed using a GOS4 repair/replacement voucher towards the cost of the repair – please speak to the Dispensing Optician at your local practice for further information.
Spectacles dispensed by GOSH Dispensing Opticians
GOSH can replace lost glasses which were dispensed by our service under the NHS (additional charges may apply e.g. if photochromic lenses were originally supplied)
As of March 2025 GOSH will only provide two pairs of replacement glasses per prescription. After this, there will be a charge for the glasses (set by NHS England) or the parent can source the glasses from a local Opticians practice.
Spectacles dispensed by your local practice
Anyone under the age of 16 can have their NHS glasses repaired/replaced using the GOS4 repair/replacement voucher towards the cost – this is regardless of whether the spectacles were prescribed by a hospital eye service, or by a local practice.
All practices that provide NHS services have access to the GOS4 vouchers on site. Please take the broken glasses back to your local Opticians practice where they can advise you further.
Spare pairs need to be purchased privately – the hospital/the NHS does not cover the cost of spare pairs, nor do we cover the cost of repairs to spare pairs.
If your child’s NHS pair were dispensed by GOSH, you can contact the dispensing team to discuss your options regarding purchasing a spare pair of glasses.
You can purchase one pair of subsidised spare glasses per prescription voucher – the subsidised pair will be provided at a reduced cost which is partially subsidised by GOSH.
Any additional spare pairs you request will be charged at the full voucher value as set by NHS England – the value is dependent on your child’s prescription.
If your child’s NHS pair were dispensed locally, please discuss your options regarding purchasing a spare pair of glasses with your local practice.
As of February 2025, GOSH no longer dispense patients who present with external prescriptions/vouchers.
Please take your child along with their prescription voucher from the hospital that they’re under, to your local opticians practice where they will be able to be dispensed.
Opening hours
The GOSH Dispensing Opticians is open Tuesday – Friday 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. The Opticians is not open on Mondays, weekends or bank holidays.
Contact information
For the dispensing optician
Email: glasses.dispensing@gosh.nhs.uk
We aim to get back to you within three working days.
Telephone: Please leave a message on 020 7405 9200 Ext-0631
We aim to get back to you within five working days.
Please leave a clear message stating your child’s GOSH number, name, phone number and a brief message.
Please note we can only help with glasses queries.
For contact lenses
Email: contactlens@gosh.nhs.uk
For patches
Email: patches.request@gosh.nhs.uk
For appointment queries
Please contact the Ophthalmology secretaries – their contact details can be found at the top of your ophthalmology hospital letters.
Postal address
Dispensing Optician G03
Ophthalmology
Sight and Sound Building
Great Ormond Street Hospital
London
WC1N 3JH