One-eyed man unhappy with Specsavers for refusing to give him half-price eye test

One-eyed David Rainsford, who lost his right eye when he was 14 after being shot by a fellow pupil with an airgun at school, claims high-street optician Specsavers is discriminating against him by charging the same for an eye test as customers with both eyes. The 44-year-old, from Cramlington, near Newcastle upon Tyne, says: “It is discriminatory really how they charge the same for one eye as two.”

David, who has a glass eye, is a customer at Specsavers in Cramlington and when he was due a test he decided to broach the subject of paying half. “I have to look after the eye I have left, it is a very personal thing to me and important for the health of my eye that I have it checked properly,” he said. After approaching head office to see if they would consider a policy change, he was told to contact his store, but David was told it was the same price to test one eye as it is for two. He said: “You cannot get a disease in a glass eye, there is nothing they are willing to consider.



“Back in the 90s when I lived in Manchester I got consent from Vision Express for this discount. It is a simple request and it is a very successful business.” Dr Nigel Best for Specsavers, said: “A thorough eye examination can take anywhere between 15 minutes and one hour depending on the nature of the symptoms the patient displays and the complexity of the problems. In patients with an ocular prosthesis it is important to be comprehensive. A typical sight test will include an examination of the surrounding area as well as the eye itself.

“Without proper care, prostheses can result in eyelid irritation which would require a referral to an appropriate specialist. In patients who have been fitted with a prosthetic eye following a condition that caused a removal, there is a risk that the condition can often pose a continuing risk to the remaining eye, making regular, thorough examinations important. At Specsavers, patients not entitled to an eye examination funded by the NHS, can be confident that irrespective of the time required to perform such an examination, a single fixed fee will be charged.”

With video.