Is it normal to wait weeks for a retinal scan appointment?

[KathyCP]

My optician agrees I need this scan at the hospital and I'm now very worried about my sight

are you anywhere near an eye hospital? some have a&e departments where you can go to without being referred (like any a&e dept).

 

[Dmcc0]

I got my appointment after a few weeks at my local hospital, literally took about 5 mins. Took my wife with me as the appointment letter said I may need to get drops so wouldn't be able to drive; took the afternoon off work for this reason too, so a little annoyed it was such a short appointment. My wife was a little annoyed too as she's taken here crochet with her to do in the waiting room and hadn't even started before I was done

 

[Bluetit1802]

I got my appointment after a few weeks at my local hospital, literally took about 5 mins. Took my wife with me as the appointment letter said I may need to get drops so wouldn't be able to drive; took the afternoon off work for this reason too, so a little annoyed it was such a short appointment. My wife was a little annoyed too as she's taken here crochet with her to do in the waiting room and hadn't even started before I was done

How weird. Did you have the drops in? This is normally necessary in order to get a better image. When I go I have the drops in then have to wait 15 minutes for them to work. I then have the images taken, which takes just a few minutes, but all in all I am there about 25 minutes plus initial waiting time. (I also have to read some letters from a wall chart)

 

[Dmcc0]

How weird. Did you have the drops in? This is normally necessary in order to get a better image. When I go I have the drops in then have to wait 15 minutes for them to work. I then have the images taken, which takes just a few minutes, but all in all I am there about 25 minutes plus initial waiting time. (I also have to read some letters from a wall chart)

Nope, they said my pupils were wide enough already. I basically had to read the letters from the chart and then sat for a couple of minutes with my chin on the machine while she took the images and told me immediately they looked fine. The clinic was like a ghost town, no receptionist, nobody in the waiting room and no staff wandering around, I actually thought we were in the wrong place until the young lady that did the test came out of a door at the end of the corridor and showed me straight through.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Nope, they said my pupils were wide enough already. I basically had to read the letters from the chart and then sat for a couple of minutes with my chin on the machine while she took the images and told me immediately they looked fine. The clinic was like a ghost town, no receptionist, nobody in the waiting room and no staff wandering around, I actually thought we were in the wrong place until the young lady that did the test came out of a door at the end of the corridor and showed me straight through.

That's why you were so quick then. It is the drops that take the time.
The ladies that do mine will never comment on the images. They have told me they are sent off and looked at by qualified people on a much larger screen. I get a letter a few weeks later.

 

[Dmcc0]

That's why you were so quick then. It is the drops that take the time.
The ladies that do mine will never comment on the images. They have told me they are sent off and looked at by qualified people on a much larger screen. I get a letter a few weeks later.

It was my first one, so maybe won't be quite so lucky with waiting times etc next time!

 

[Hampshire_Lad]

Hi, thanks for all your replies
I chased my appointment date again this week and was told it can be seen in the system as a request but it hasn't been addressed yet. The surgery advises it could take until Christmas or beyond to get a date and time to come through

There is no eye hospital local to me, so unfortunately faced with the prospect of waiting until next year I'm left with no option but to take a small loan out and go private.
Its very frustrating as I've paid my NI for many many years like we all have, but when I actually need help there isn't any in this instance

 

[mcarbl]

I was diagnosed with T2 just 3 weeks ago, and was told it will be a 3 month wait before I hear anything about the eye scan.

I’m in Birmingham and don’t need to go to a hospital for it. There are limited number of opticians who do the diabetic retinal checks, luckily.

 

[knipster]

Hi,
It is now 3 months since I was initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I then had to wait 5 weeks to see a diabetic nurse who told me that due to my vision becoming blurred I would need an urgent retinal scan - a half hour hospital procedure she said,

That was back on September 12th and I have heard nothing since. I have chased this with my local surgery and they can see the request was made but they have no way of chasing it once it is in the system.

Did any of you guys have to wait so long just for the appointment for your scans to come through on the NHS?

My right eye is now so blurred i'm having problems driving and reading. My optician agrees I need this scan at the hospital and I'm now very worried about my sight

I was told it could be a year for mine, but they actually scheduled it for only a month later so idk?

 

[Prem51]

After my dn made first referral it took about 16 weeks for first retinal scan iirc. After that I am on the clinic's computerised list and should get appointment every 12 months.