[speckythecky]

My dad had glaucoma and as a result I get free eyesight tests in UK (or at least I will do from next year when I am over 40). Does NZ have any similar ruling?

[Carey]

Also interested in this as my mother has glaucoma and both my aunts. Does anyone know the answer?

[Nicola]

Not sure if I can answer your question. But............

I was diagnosed with low pressure Glucoma about 6 months after I arrived here, by my optician at a routine eye exam. I have had to pay for all the tests and for my visits to the optometrist. Plus perscriptions and the eye drops I need.

Now this does sound expensive, but ............. In the UK I visited the optician regularly and this was never ever picked up until my first visit to the optician here. By which time I had lost all the vision in the lower right quarter of my left eye. (which means if I look at my nose I can only see the right hand side, not that I send a lot of time looking at my nose) I will never regain this it is gone for good. Luckly it was not the outside quarter or I might not have been allowed to drive anymore. It has now been stablised and there has been no more damage since I started to use the drops over a year ago. If we had not moved to NZ then I could have lost a lot more vision before it was picked up.

Sorry I can not give you a definate answer, but I suspect that there is no free testing. Why not email one of the Optician's over here, you can find them on the web, I am sure they could answer your question.

[speckythecky]

Thanks you the suggestion Nicola,

Hope everything is OK with you.

[darius71]

http://www.glaucoma.org.nz/

[speckythecky]

Thanks Darius, Welcome to the forum