Advice re. getting an Opthalmic referral

curlygirl1971

Hi
I’m looking for advice as to how I might get a referral to Opthalmic dept at Hospital (or perhaps this is advice about paying to see an Optician?)
Will try not to waffle but in a nutshell I had successful treatment for a Retinal tear 10+ years ago but was left with many 'floaters' and what can only be described as a ripple through my vision in one eye - lived with that for 10 years but over last 18 months vision has degraded considerably in that eye and now it’s mostly just blurred.
I last had an Eye test in October 2019 and again I mentioned my ongoing issues and the fact that I was struggling with my sight and it was now impacting my work. When I mentioned my previous Retinal tear of course they check for signs of Retinal detachment or a further tear – and this doesn’t seem to be the case, so then they are much less concerned and the advice is ‘you’re getting older, your brain will adjust, try new glasses’. I know it sounds dramatic but some days are such a struggle (due to the nature of my work I have to read a lot) that I’ve been driven almost to tears. I get to a point in the day where I just can’t continue with work, read, do anything of detail.
I went back into the Opticians before Christmas and asked to speak to Optician to get some advice, follow up on that previous conversation, situation getting worse etc and was told I'd need to book another appointment and pay for it.
I know my sight comes first but I was pretty furious by this (I’ve always paid for regular eye tests and have spent a fortune on specs) but somehow it just doesn't seem right. But if an Optician won't see me (unless I pay for it!) is there any other route? I take it my GP will just advise me to first see an Optician? I don’t believe this is an Emergency that warrants going to A&E…but I almost feel forced into going down that route.

elsien

I'd go straight to the GP. They will need to make any hospital referral anyway, the optician would not do this; all the optician is likely to do is to write to your GP explaining that they think you need further investigations (if they do feel that this is the case.)
Is a lot of your reading done on screen at work - have you had a DSU assessment? If you do a lot of screen work you may be entitled to a free eye test, but in your circumstances then I do think the GP is likely to be the quicker route.

Undervalued

elsien wrote: »

I'd go straight to the GP. They will need to make any hospital referral anyway, the optician would not do this; all the optician is likely to do is to write to your GP explaining that they think you need further investigations (if they do feel that this is the case.)
Is a lot of your reading done on screen at work - have you had a DSU assessment? If you do a lot of screen work you may be entitled to a free eye test, but in your circumstances then I do think the GP is likely to be the quicker route.

Not in my experience, more the other way round. A GP famously said to me "I know very little about eyes and I don't have the equipment even if I did"!

An optician can refer you direct to an ophthalmologist and round here we also have a sort of half way house called something like "minor eye condition service". Basically that is provided on the NHS but subcontracted out to a limited number of opticians (presumably with special extra training or qualifications).

Also if you are within reach of a university that teaches optometry, they will have a clinic and very likely be part of any minor eye condition service. I go to one regularly and they are excellent and of course superbly equipped.

elsien

Mine wouldn't. Letter to GP followed by hospital referral by GP.
Maybe it's another postcode thing.

curlygirl1971

Appreciate the responses


I think it is a postcode thing. I used to live in Manchester and like you Undervalued there was a number of clinics at the Eye Hosp where you could get seen. But not so in my current location.


I've just followed 111 pathway online as best I could and outcome was contact GP (I know a little about the 111 pathway from my work and outcomes can differ by postcode)


Looking at the NHS page for my local ophthalmic service it mentions GP referral


So I've made an apt with GP - 2 week wait, So hopefully that will be the correct route. Need to get this sorted as its driving me crazy.

Undervalued

elsien wrote: »

Mine wouldn't. Letter to GP followed by hospital referral by GP.
Maybe it's another postcode thing.

Quite possibly.

Round here if your GP refers you to ophthalmology, unless it is something very urgent, they bounce it back to the minor eye condition service who can then get you seen by a ophthalmologist if need be.

Before that started the same GP also commented that there were only two speeds of referral with eyes - three hours or three months!

alba7

It’s 6 months wait for an outpatient ophthalmology appointment where I live but there is a walk in emergency eye clinic as well, at the same hospital.

curlygirl1971

No emergency eye clinic where I live - its just regular A&E. And that's why I'm reluctant to go there as despite my problems I don't think its an 'emergency' situation.


Anyway....went to GP this morning (as per 111) and he said nothing they can do all referrals (at least in my area) are direct from Opticians. Called the Opticians again (an assistant that then discussed with Optician) who then said I needed to go in for another eye test and pay for it!


Its ridiculous....this isn't a problem that can be corrected by glasses. Its a long standing problem that has got worse. But as an NHS patient I've now got to pay for the chance of a referral....that just seems very wrong to me.

kirtondm

Dosen't seem quite right to me. In an area where their isn't an NHS minor funded eyecare scheme it would go though the GP.


I would attend the nearest eye hospital with a walk in eye casualty even if it was a bit of a journey.


Unfortunately NHS provision for primary eyecare is patchy and by no means universal.

uknick

Curly, if you don't have an emergency eye clinic go to normal Emergency at your local general hospital, ideally during normal office hours (I appreciate you work, but, to state the obvious, your sight is important). I did this a few years ago when I contracted iritis after my GP couldn't help.

Worst case scenario, you waste up to 4 hours (if you're unlucky) and get told they have to refer you. Best case, you get to see hospital ophthalmologist who can sort you out. If you go out of hours, you'll be lucky to see a specialist at the time.

Undervalued

curlygirl1971 wrote: »

No emergency eye clinic where I live - its just regular A&E. And that's why I'm reluctant to go there as despite my problems I don't think its an 'emergency' situation.


Anyway....went to GP this morning (as per 111) and he said nothing they can do all referrals (at least in my area) are direct from Opticians. Called the Opticians again (an assistant that then discussed with Optician) who then said I needed to go in for another eye test and pay for it!


Its ridiculous....this isn't a problem that can be corrected by glasses. Its a long standing problem that has got worse. But as an NHS patient I've now got to pay for the chance of a referral....that just seems very wrong to me.

An optometrist (optician) is trained and qualified to do a lot more than just prescribe glasses. Unfortunately apart from certain services that the NHS pays them to do they are private businesses.

I would have thought you ought to get you eye looked at promptly and it may be there is no alternative but to pay.