NHS Waiting Lists - No complaints for once!

[FrenchieBoy]

So many of us complain about the waiting lists for NHS surgery and treatment, including me! With our GP surgery if you phone up asking for an appointment to see the doctor unless it's something quite serious you usually have to wait up to 6 weeks!
However yesterday I was really surprised! I have been having trouble with my eyes recently and tests showed that I have cataracts in both eyes, the worst being in my right eye (the left eye is not too bad.) I went for an assessment for Laser Correction Surgery yesterday morning and when the assessment was over they gave me a card and told me to go to the reception, give the receptionist the card and get an appointment for the surgery. This I duly did!
The receptionist looked at the card and then looked at me as said "Are you free tomorrow"? I was a little taken aback with this so I said "Why, are you thinking of taking me somewhere nice tomorrow"? She looked back and smiled and said "NO! we can do the surgery tomorrow for you if you want"! This really did surprise me as I obviously wanted to get it done as soon as possible as my wife had the same "surgery" not very long ago and it was incredible the difference it has made to her eye sight but was expecting it to be something like a couple of months, so it's off to get my "laser surgery" done today at 12:00!
Just for once I can really praise the NHS Centre where I am going to have my treatment in record time and I am certainly not complaining - That's a first for me!
Hats off to the centre that is doing the surgery for me and what a relief to find that they are really on the ball, unlike so many others that we all hear about all too regularly!
(I should add that it isn't my usual Medical Centre!)
I'll let you know how things went and then hopefully I will be able to see all of you right!

 

[Yorkie]

I had my Cataract surgery performed by a company called SpaMedica. They do a lot of NHS work. Like you, i had short wait. I think it depends on where you live.

Which lens have you opted for? I went for distance vision. After about a year my new lens went cloudy so i had to have the YAG laser surgery to correct it.

It is an odd sensation but completely pain free.

 

[paulst]

You are right about the complaints about waiting lists, however on two occasions when I required what I considered urgent medical intervention. A torn retina in my left eye and a suspected heart attack, the NHS couldn’t have been quicker or more efficient. Got the torn retina “stitched” with a laser the following day. Absolutely painless if a somewhat peculiar sensation.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

I had my Cataract surgery performed by a company called SpaMedica. They do a lot of NHS work. Like you, i had short wait. I think it depends on where you live.

Which lens have you opted for? I went for distance vision. After about a year my new lens went cloudy so i had to have the YAG laser surgery to correct it.

It is an odd sensation but completely pain free.

They did things for my distance sight. At the moment it feels like someone has thrown a handful of sand and pepper in my eye, but I am sure that will pass!

 

[Ratel]

Got an eye problem in my right eye, according to Optician " Beyond my pay grade", so he referred me to hospital. Four months later I got an appointment. Saw the consultant who gave me pills for glaucoma, which the Optician told me I hadn't got. Another appointment in six months says consultant. That was eighteen months ago. On ringing up all I get is "We are working through a backlog".

 

[Tim.243]

Got an eye problem in my right eye, according to Optician " Beyond my pay grade", so he referred me to hospital. Four months later I got an appointment. Saw the consultant who gave me pills for glaucoma, which the Optician told me I hadn't got. Another appointment in six months says consultant. That was eighteen months ago. On ringing up all I get is "We are working through a backlog".

My neighbour had the cataract check up (82) 5 days later all done with a note to get the other done.
That was last week.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Got an eye problem in my right eye, according to Optician " Beyond my pay grade", so he referred me to hospital. Four months later I got an appointment. Saw the consultant who gave me pills for glaucoma, which the Optician told me I hadn't got. Another appointment in six months says consultant. That was eighteen months ago. On ringing up all I get is "We are working through a backlog".

It really does seem like a bit of a post code lottery! I hope you get sorted soon!

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Just a quick update - After having my eye surgery on Friday (Just 3 days ago) the difference is becoming more noticeable now. My vision is really clearing and I can see things much more clearly through my right eye - It was quite "hazy" initially but that is now really clearing! I was busking for a short while yesterday in bright sunlight (And a very profitable hour and a half it was) but had to cut the session short as the "glare" from the white pages of my music books was becoming a little painful on the eyes and starting to give me a head ache - I have "Transition Glasses" on prescription which made a bit of a difference but they need to be changed as obviously my eyesight has changed now so they weren't doing much good. However I have no complaints at all with the results and the way forward for me seems to wear a good set of "Polaroid Glasses" to minimise the brightness of the sun reflecting off white pages. All in all I can not fault the results (Nor the "procedure) so if any of you are suffering from cataracts and are offered the laser treatment then go for it! It might be a little uncomfortable while they are doing the op (Which only takes about 15 minutes) but the end results are well worth it!

 

[Freeforester]

Talking about matters medical…

 

[Ratel]

Wow!! Just got a face to face Doctor's appointment. Only six weeks from asking for one.