"Stressful Visit"

At the end of September I attended the Emergency Eye Clinic receiving excellent care. I received laser treatment and was told I would be seen in two weeks for a check-up. I asked the consultant who had done the treatment to pass on my thanks to the doctor I had originally seen.

Yesterday was my out-patient appointment two days short of four weeks after my emergency visit.

Clinic was overrunning by an hour by my appointment time- no problem - . having obtained a “pager” my husband and I went for a coffee for half an hour.

Having worked in the NHS and general practice I understand that things can happen which affect the running of clinics so was unsurprised to be seen an hour and a quarter late.

The consultation however could not have been more different from the previous one.

The doctor was abrupt and brusque. After 5 minutes checking that the laser treatment had worked the doctor was ready to discharge me.

I asked a question about raised eye pressure which had been talked about previously.

This meant various tests/measurements ensued, each one requiring the doctor to leave the room to obtain a particular piece of equipment. At one point I had difficulty accommodating a lens into my eye for which I apologised, explaining that I had difficulty before and how the doctor had overcome it.

“It’s alright” had the undercurrent of “not really” from the response. A condition was looked (which I could see even with my blurry vision) to find medication/dosage, A scant explanation of this was given with a review in three months. Not once was I put at my ease or helped to relax nor was I asked how I had felt after the laser treatment.

It was not my fault that the clinic overran and patients should be given the same time and consideration wherever they appear in clinic.

I left the room at 5.20, the waiting room was devoid of patients and staff.

A basket was on the reception desk for “outcome forms”.

Given that these contain patient information I was surprised that this would be allowed under patient confidentiality/data protection protocols – patients are passing the desk from the laser rooms to the exit until much later as I did in September.

This door also opens on to the main corridor and is accessible to the general public.

I hope the next visit is better - I suspect it will be longer than the three months requested depending on administrative pressures.