I had a letter yesterday afternoon that has just come, which I had no idea was coming, and I had no idea this had been set in motion. It had to be the Specsavers optician that says I have cataracts, that set this in motion.
From NHS Wales.
But at the bottom it says eidohealthcare.com
And EIDO.
It is for cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) with Monofocal Intraocular Lens Implant.
This offer expires the end of March 2024.
Among other things that leaflet tells you to let the healthcare team know if you have had previous laser eye surgery.
And asks you to ask questions of your surgeon or healthcare team if you don't understand or have questions.
What surgeon? What healthcare team? This letter is a complete surprise to me.
This is an 11 page document about cataracts the offer of which expires end of March 2024, and all the pages say "Copyright EIDO Systems International"
The covering letter simply says NHS Wales Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board, but NO actual location/address where it has come from, the only contact is a phone number which is just for appointments. There is no email address, although there is a picture of an envelope, but no email address by it. This covering letter is from an Appointments Clerk (but from where). The letter tells me they (who are they?) will be in touch, and offer me an appointment as soon as one becomes available and under "Where will I be seen", it says the majority of appointments offered to you will be in the location nearest your home. This letter was sent 14 Dec 23.
I cannot talk to daughter in Australia, she is on holiday, in some remote location in an Airbnb and she says she has no Internet connection for a week and a half. She needed a break...
I don't like the sound of this letter. Sounds very rushed to me. Anyway, I had a look at the Monofocal Intraocular Lens Implant details, and it says I will still need glasses for both long distance and also glasses for reading, which was not my understanding of a monocular lens. The optician had said, Specsavers optician, that the NHS only did the monocular lens (when she was telling me I urgently needed the cataract in my right eye doing), and that I would only need glasses for reading after the cataract operation (I had told her I was going for a second opinion at St Paul's and I was going this coming week and gave her the date).
So is this a private healthcare company? I did a bit of research online, and I find they are providing digital solutions, and distance solutions.
Why this rush, and offer that expires at the end of March 2024? This doesn't sound like the NHS to me...
I have a friend who will telephone for me. She rang the number on the letter, but was told it was just for appointments, nothing else, and I would have to wait until I got an appointment letter which would be soon.
When friend related this to me, I expressed my concerns about this whole thing and the rush. But my friend insisted this was amazing this offer of the cataract operation coming through so quickly, and I should accept it and go ahead with it etc etc. She cannot understand my concerns, and reluctance.
It is less than 3 weeks ago that the Specsavers optician said I had cataracts in my right eye. And that the sight in my right eye had dramatically worsened (but her equipment kept steaming up making everything blurred).
And the biggest thing is as far as I am concerned is that the sight in my right eye is no different than it was about 5 years ago (my current glasses are 5 years old and the optician always said they didn't need changing, and I have an eye test every year), the sight in that right eye always has been a bit blurred.
This was just the regular yearly eye test, not because I had any new problems with my eyes, because I don't.
St Paul's is this coming week. I am working out a list of questions for them today, which I will print out, and just hand it to the specialist.
This letter really has upset my digestion...