Eye Pavillon

[Jock 83]

Went to my regular eye check last week.
This shouldn't have been a big deal. I got there in plenty of time and was promptly taken to have the drops put in. Fine so far, but less than a couple of minutes later i'm called back in, before the drops have had a chance to work. The doctor who had trouble asking simple questions, then took a quick glance at the back of my eyes. His opinion "ur i s r fine"??? This was with the door open to the waiting room! When asked for more detail his answer was keep control good and before i could ask another question i was told when to make my next oppointment, then goodbye.
Don't get me wrong there are some really good doctors out there, but this guy was by far the worst i have seen in my life.
So an afternoon of lost wages, a train fare, no actual benefit, left feeling angry ,annoyed and like a piece of s***. Thanks !!!! 😡

 

[Caroline]

I think you should ask for another test as it takes at least 20 minutes for the drops to work. If it was for the retinal pictures, he should have at least done these.

 

[Copepod]

Sometimes, the operator (not necessarily a doctor at all locations) can see enough of the retinas to take photos and / or make an assessment without using dilating drops. Was a digital photo taken and saved on computer system? This is very important, as it means the next photo to be taken can be compared with the last one.

However, worth a chat with PALS (PAtient Liaison Service - in England, but I'm assuming there's a similar scheme in Scotland) about the doctor's communication skills - hope you got their name? You say he had trouble asking simple questions - does that mean he could only ask complicated questions, or that his command of English language was less than adequate? In any case, giving clinicallly significant news with the door open is unacceptable. Not unusual, though - as a teenager in late 1970s, before diabetes, I got a snowball in my eye and had to attend Birmingham Eye Hospital for weekly check ups for a whole school term; the doctor remarked to my mum and me that the lack of privacy was not ideal - there was a series of about 4 desks along the windows, with wating area in front of desks and examination room, where ligthing could be controlled, to one side. I thought the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh had been relocated from south of the castle roack to Old Dalkeith Road in the last few years? So there should have been better design of rooms etc.

 

[diagonall]

Jock,
If you are not happy with the way the test was conducted, write and complain.
Explain why you are not happy and also point out it's your sight at stake not the Dr.s

 

[kincaidston]

been there done that at the edinburgh eye pavilion... first time there and the doctor really didn't have a clue... took them over a year to send me another appointment (after intervention by my consultant)

second time round much better, got to see somebody half way decent who would answer questions put to her and who seemed to ask the right questions of me - much better experience

though last time i was there, the nurse didn't seem to actually like people, didn't take any care of putting the drops in - end result was wasting my time as i had to have the drops put back in

 

[Lizzie]

I have a similar problem. I have been told that it is Ok as long as an eye specialist looks at your eyes, you don't need a photo. I tend to disagree with this, I would rather have a photo to compare and track any changes as well as to motivate me to keep my sugars in check.

 

[kincaidston]

i quite fancy getting an optomap exam done but you'd have to arrange for that through an optician but looks like it gives a wide view of the back of the retina, far more than traditional camera techniques - here is the link

 

[Einstein]

I have glaucoma (now in both eyes) so usually see an eye specialist every 6 months - at my last diabetic consultation with my diabetologist the nurse recognised me and said she hadn't seen me for a long time. She was the nurse for both the diabetes at one community hospital and the nurse for the eye clinic at another.

While waiting she pulled my notes, made a few calls and discovered I hadn't see the eye people for two years, not my fault I'd dropped off the system of recall appointments.

So off I go for the tests and discover that the missing/blurred vision in my right eye isn't my new varifocals after all, but the glaucoma coming to life in my right eye.

In future I'm also going to have the picture taken when the van is at my GPs, at least as Lizzie said there is a record of my condition.

 

[ang1988]

I attend the eye pavilion in edinburgh too and am getting frustrated with my care, i had cataracts when i was diagnosed and have had operations on both my eyes at the pavilion to correct them which was fine but since then i have had a horrible pain in my left eye which no1 seems bothered about not my doc at the pavilion or my GP. A couple of months ago my Gp told me there was some damage found at the back of my eye and i would now be gettin digital photos taken at my next visit to the diabetes clinic which was today after gettin the other usual tests done i went to see the doc and i asked her bout gettin the photo fo my eyes taken which i have never had done before and she said she would check with the eye tech guy who told me i didnt need it done!!! I am sooo confused and no1 seems to care. How often does every1 else have photos taken of their eyes?

 

[tracey w]

dont even get me started on this one. Diabetic a year now and still no test! asked at least 6 times now, yes 6 and the last time i asked, couple of days ago was told that my referral "could be a while., they will let me know"??!! have spoken to dsn, gp diabetic nurse, gp and my optician 😡

 

[grovesy]

I have now had 3 retina scans and i thoght they save the image so the can compare with a hard record as you dont get the result till about a week after th test.

 

[kincaidston]

you can pay to get a retina scan done in edinburgh, some of the opticians have the required equipment, sure there is one on george street that has the optimap camera