Eye Screening, Do I have a choice of provider?

Hi tony.

Your GP 'ordered' you to use the eyesight testing van in the car park ? Nobody orders me to do anything ! They can ask ? I can refuse. Opthamaology is not the GP's domain !

If I was you I would go to your Optician and tell them you are a Diabetic and you want a full eyesight and Retinal Screening test. This is free.

You are entitled to at least one a year and once you have had one done, you should be able to see and discuss the result with the Optician. Those results are passed on to be checked elsewhere and if there is any problem you will be notified. My Optician points out anything which could be a problem, fortunately none. He also explains in great detail what he is looking for.

While your eyes are playing up do NOT get any new glasses.

Ken.

Good to hear that Tony. Let us know how you get on at the Opticians ?

As for screens - I now have my PC linked to the TV screen (32") and can view that from around 12 feet comfortably. If I need to zoom in just press Ctrl and + or - and..... OMG. Steps back !!

Ken.

I had a full eye screaning at Boots a couple of years ago and despite my telling them that I have known slight retinopathy, they got all panicky and wrote to my GP Caused a real fuss. Since then I've been to Specsavers and there, I told the optometrist about the Boots debacle. She eventually told me she'd expected far worse than she found, which she called "background " This year I went to the community screening and the report I got back was, some slight changes, which won't affect vision and don't need treatment. Next year, i hope that the low carb/low blood pressure I now have had for a couple of years, will have improved what little damage I have.
Every one of those checks was free.

IMO I'd tend to go for the screening just the once to see what it's like. Then you will have to go to the optician separately as I doubt the van will be interested in other aspects of your vision.

Personally I prefer the optician for purely mechanical considerations: I can walk there and back and be seen on time vs. a 1 hour drive and a £4.50 car park fee at the hospital plus waiting hours to be seen then waiting more hours for the drops to wear off (the optician's machine has a very powerful flash and he will only use the drops if he can't get a decent pictuire without them), and if he spotted any problem, since he knows the various opthalmologists and their specialities he could recommend the best hospital to be referred to.

Plus he lets me look at the pictures (when the effect of the flash has worn off), and he keeps them on file to look for potential changes, and will tell you if there's a problem immediately. The hospital refuses to let you see the results and writes to your GP a few weeks later, then you need to make another appointment which may be months away or not kept in the event of a problem.

No contest, frankly!

I have just had a retinal screening done at my local hospital, it was done very professionally, first my eyes were dilated, stung a bit, then 2 photos were taken of each eye. The Doctor then blew up the images on his PC and after studying them for some time gave me the good news that I had only suffered one small haemorrhage behind my left eye, background retinopathy was the term he used but he said it was nothing to worry about and that I had been lucky considering my BG level was 31 two months ago when I was diagnosed.

I also had an eye test done at a large chain opticians, they wanted to give me a retinal scan but I told them that I had had one done the week before at the hospital so didn't need another, I was then told that they HAD to take photos of the back of my eyes as I was diabetic. Again I told them that it was not needed or necessary and that I didn't want a retinal scan, "Oh, its not a retinal scan its just a picture of the back of your eye" I was told. :lol: :lol:

I had to be quite rude in the end and I got the distinct feeling that they wanted to give me a scan so that I would go back to their shop next year and the year after etc etc. A customer for life!!

After that experience I am glad I had my scan done at the hospital as the NHS for all its faults does not make money out of me for new glasses every year.....

I like to have a choice where I get my glasses from thank you very much :x

I had the usual letter the other year, we have noted changes in your eyes, when I had my next screening, I asked the operator and he compared my previous years photo's with the one from the year before and he said the changes they had noted were on the previous years photo's and they were normal.

My Consultant says that many changes they note and then send you a letter about, may be gone by the time of the next photo. His comment is that minor changes are normal. All they end up doing is worrying people.

It all adds to my concern about the care provided by the NHS. I think for my next screening, I will be going to the Optician.

I had the test in ‘the little van’ only last Thursday and it was absolutely fine – the usual retinal photography with the funky eye drops. It’s simply a mobile unit with the aim of saving you the bother of travelling to a hospital unit further away.

Your doctor can’t order you to do anything, but surely it would be pedantic to pass up the chance of preventative measures?

A year in and I still haven't been offered the van/photo visit by my diabetic nurse - I did take it upon my self to have a check at Specsavers for reassurance and everything was fine they said.

They also said I probably wouldn't need to the drops as I have wide retinas or something - we'll see as I will be headbutting my nurse on Thursday when i get my annual check - she will rue the day she let me go 12 months without the proper treatment

Quite honestly, if people don't do their jobs properly I'm their worst nightmare otherwise, I'm, nice as pie