Specsavers problem?

mike+caz

Hi. Hope I have posted this in the correct place.

Brief history. Firstly I have worn glassed all my life.
I went to Specsavers in Oct. 2013 complaining of very dry eyes and vision deterioration. She did an eye test told me my eyes were ''as dry as a desert'' and that I needed reading glasses. Told me to get some eye drops from Drs or chemist. Bought reading glasses and eye drops.

In Jan. 2014 I started to develop a feeling in my left eye like I had something in it, it soon turned into an eye infection my eye was extremely red, constantly watering and the pain was horrendous. Went to chemist first and bought eye drops. It didnt clear but got worse so went to Specsavers to get an appointment, They didnt have any available for 2 weeks but receptionist said that I could have an emergency one, she took my details and symptoms, which were extremely red watery eye with blurred and double vision and I could hardly keep my open due to the pain and my eye being light sensitive, the pain was also the worst eye pain I have ever had. Optition came out of her room looked at the form the receptionist had filled in and without examining me she told me to go to GP for some drops and there was nothing she could do for me. Had drops from GP but they were useless.
Moving on. I had this infection for 5-6 weeks redness went down but blurred, double vision and pain did not go. I had enough and went to a different optician who after only a quick look in my eye wrote a letter for specialist at hospital marked priority. Apparently I had a sereve corneal abration and needed specialist help.
Went to hospital yesterday and specialist looked at eye and said that the infection had scared the cornea so badly and deeply that I am now stuck with damage done and I will always have blurred, double vision sensitivity to light and pain.
The out come is that I am unable to drive now because I have no clear vision to my left side. Not to mention the constant pain, ect.

Is there anything I can do about Specsavers? My husband wants to go to see a solicitor. But do I have to complain to Specsavers first??

Sorry about long post.

Caz

transient

mike+caz wrote: »

Hi. Hope I have posted this in the correct place.

Brief history. Firstly I have worn glassed all my life.
I went to Specsavers in Oct. 2013 complaining of very dry eyes and vision deterioration. She did an eye test told me my eyes were ''as dry as a desert'' and that I needed reading glasses. Told me to get some eye drops from Drs or chemist. Bought reading glasses and eye drops.

In Jan. 2014 I started to develop a feeling in my left eye like I had something in it, it soon turned into an eye infection my eye was extremely red, constantly watering and the pain was horrendous. Went to chemist first and bought eye drops. It didnt clear but got worse so went to Specsavers to get an appointment, They didnt have any available for 2 weeks but receptionist said that I could have an emergency one, she took my details and symptoms, which were extremely red watery eye with blurred and double vision and I could hardly keep my open due to the pain and my eye being light sensitive, the pain was also the worst eye pain I have ever had. Optition came out of her room looked at the form the receptionist had filled in and without examining me she told me to go to GP for some drops and there was nothing she could do for me. Had drops from GP but they were useless.
Moving on. I had this infection for 5-6 weeks redness went down but blurred, double vision and pain did not go. I had enough and went to a different optician who after only a quick look in my eye wrote a letter for specialist at hospital marked priority. Apparently I had a sereve corneal abration and needed specialist help.
Went to hospital yesterday and specialist looked at eye and said that the infection had scared the cornea so badly and deeply that I am now stuck with damage done and I will always have blurred, double vision sensitivity to light and pain.
The out come is that I am unable to drive now because I have no clear vision to my left side. Not to mention the constant pain, ect.

Is there anything I can do about Specsavers? My husband wants to go to see a solicitor. But do I have to complain to Specsavers first??

Sorry about long post.

Caz

Advance to Go, collect as much compo as possible from them and throw again.

Pick a community chest card up. "You have lost your case before it comes to court. Please pay solicitors fees of £1500

harrys_dad

Not sure why you feel you have any gripes with Specsavers. You appear to have had a medical problem, so should have gone to a doctor. I am sorry your eye has been damaged by this infection.

mike+caz

harrys_dad wrote: »

Not sure why you feel you have any gripes with Specsavers. You appear to have had a medical problem, so should have gone to a doctor. I am sorry your eye has been damaged by this infection.

Harrysdad.

I think I do have a problem with specsavers. If when I went to see them they had bothered to look at my eye they would have seen how bad the corneal abration/infection and could have refered me to hospital immediately, a gp would not have been able to see the infection as he would not have had the knowledge or equipment to do so (got told that by specialist and other optician).

This Is not about compo its about specsavers acknowledging that they got it wrong. This is more about the impact it is going to have on our lives. I am a carer to my son without me being able to drive how am I supposed to take my son (and myself) to go,hospital,dentist, ect appointments? Shopping trips days out are going to be extremely difficult.

I am at the moment very upset and feel very depressed. I cannot see much of a future not just with the blurry double vision but with the daily pain, getting up in the morning is terrible it takes at least the morning before I can open my eye and some of the pain dies down.

Caz

harrys_dad

As I said before I am really sorry for your eye problem and the effect it is having on you. I suggest you take some independent advice to see if Specsavers could reasonably have been expected to notice any problem at that time.

hollydays

Did your doctor not tell you to make a follow up appointment if eye drops didn't work?

Found this-where to get advice hth

http://www.avma.org.uk

Searcher

Up until going to the hospital did you actually go to see a doctor or did you just get eye drops?


Specsavers are opticians and it looks like they advised you on the first visit to see a doctor

photome

Not sure wether specsavers did anything wrong or not. I think I would have gone to doctors sooner, specsavers did advise drs or chemist on first visit, but my point is that you should still be able to drive.

If you vision is fine in one eye you can still keep your license subject to a medical

mike+caz

Searcher wrote: »

Up until going to the hospital did you actually go to see a doctor or did you just get eye drops?


Specsavers are opticians and it looks like they advised you on the first visit to see a doctor

Went to the gp twice but he said I needed an optician for examination and referal to specialist. (Don't know what system your nhs uses but here you need optician to refer you to eye specialist gp's don't do it). Specsavers as I said ignored me it took another visit to a different optician to get a referral.

mike+caz

photome wrote: »

Not sure wether specsavers did anything wrong or not. I think I would have gone to doctors sooner, specsavers did advise drs or chemist on first visit, but my point is that you should still be able to drive.

If you vision is fine in one eye you can still keep your license subject to a medical

I unfortunately will not be able to drive as I have worn glasses all my life and have always had one lazy eye with less than 50% vision. Its my one good eye that's been damaged.

mike+caz

hollydays wrote: »

Did your doctor not tell you to make a follow up appointment if eye drops didn't work?

Found this-where to get advice hth

http://www.avma.org.uk

Gp told me to back to optician if eye drops didn't work as they could better advice.

Thank you for link will take a look.