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Retinopathy screening >>> eye drops

sterling

Well-Known Member
Messages
161
Location
Centre of England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My optometrist (Susan Bowers in Coventry) tells me that eye drops are only necessary when older instrumentation is used.

I can therefore have the necessary tests without drops. This means having a free NHS eye test and paying £15 extra for the photography and consultation. That saves having half a day off work and having several hours of poor vision.
 
Yes you don't need dilating drops for the photo of the eyes.
 
Interesting. I have been having a few visits to the opthalmologist for my eyes and each time its a half day off work because after you have had the drops, you cant read a thing or even work on a computer. i may look into this.... I wonder if you can have the maculopathy scans without the drops. I hate having the drops.
 
The drops are a bit of a pain but if there's the slightest chance it improves the image enough to spot a problem that otherwise may have been missed-then they're worth it IMO
 
Last time I had it done they never used the drops. Easier, but no excuse to have half day off work lol !
 
I have a Macular problem, when I go to the opticians they don't put drops in my eyes, however I also attend a yearly check up and they put drops in my eyes. This is uncomfortable if there is bright sunshine when you come out, last year I couldn't decided whether to walk in the sun and avoid the icy pavement or walk on the ice to get out of the sun. Sunglasses next time I think
 
I had the drops walked out of the opticians on a wet day and the sun came out and bounced of the wet road I thought I had been fried lol


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I always feel like Gizmo from the Gremlins film after eye drops..."Lights out-lights out" lol
 
Am I missing something with "Sterling's" initial posting. I agree that the eye-drops may not be required as the customary drops would only be necessciary to 'dilate' the pupils so that it then becomes easier to obtain the photographs of the retina (the back of the eye) but where does the £15.00 charge come into this equation ?
Surely if the individual lives and resides within the UK, has a valid entitlement to NHS FREE treatment there should be NO charge especially as someone has been registered already with diabetes.
I've had many Retinal Screening Photographs taken at yearly intervals and no mention of any charge has ever been said to me.
 
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Private opticians (which I think is what the OP is referring to) will carry out a free standard eye test for those entitled to it. However I don't believe that the retinal screening is a routine part of that test and many will charge extra for it.
 
I got a free (I live in Scotland) eye test, at Specsavers and got all the tests done. I told the optometrist that I had diabetes so he did the whole gamut of tests....photographs of my eyes, for which he did add drops, but although they stung a bit, it wasn't bad at all..... the puff test to check for glaucoma, and several other machines. A very thorough examination in all.
I also had a yearly retinopathy scan done at my GP practice for which I didn't get drops. I do wear contact lenses, so perhaps the optician was just being extra thorough.
 
Just had my screening last week. They used drops, but said they had other drops that stung less though they were only used if you were allergic to the others as they weren't as good.
Took a friend with me and they wanted to go shopping afterwards, with me looking like a bush baby going into a bright shop was a killer, had to go back outside

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Sorry people, but as someone who has had well over one hundred appointmenys at eye clinic over the past six years and often muliple eye drops at each visit I do thiik that some have their prioroities a little skewed here..
Yes it would be more convenient withut the drops. It would be more convenient not to bother going at all - which my consultant tells me might as well be the case if you don't have the drops..
I hope none of you ever develop retinopathy or maculopathy but if you do, eye drops will be the least of your worries. Certainly always take sunglasses whatever the weather - but really there are worse things than eyedrops.
 
I worked in outpatients for a number of years in ophthalmic clinics, drops can be given to reverse the effects of dilation on request to the consultant, they work within a few minutes

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