Appointments

[jennyjoan]

Sister received two separate letters in the same post saying RVH will contact her 6 weeks before an appointment will be made. I can't work that one out.

Anyway - one letter mentioned Glaucoma and the other mentioned RASC (Cataracts).

Now I'm wondering will she get two separate appointments or the two dealt with together.

I do hope so because the Royal is vast and she is not too great on her feet.

I will tell her to ring and enquire about that.

[Redhelen72]

I would imagine it will be 2 separate appointments.

[sadielady]

Separate clinics so probably 2 appoitments. Would be good if they could be a couple of hours apart on the same day

[jennyjoan]

I think it will be separate appointments too - I have emailed said appointments office and await a reply.

She knew re the cataracts appointment but at the diabetic eye screening test - there was no mention of glaucoma.

[New Judge]

Wouldn't it be a good idea if somebody in the eye department could match the two problems suffered by the same patient and arrange one appointment with one eye doctor? After all, it's not as if one problem is a broken leg and the other a gastric ulcer.

As simple as it sounds (and despite the benefits to both the patient and the health service that would follow) it's clearly beyond the NHS (which, apparently, is "the envy of the world").

[bednobs]

i'm not sure that's possible NJ
Consultants that deal with cataracts are probably surgeons
consultants that deal with Glaucoma are probably physicians

[Mamyalynne]

I believe the RASC (Cataracts) is in a different location altogether.

[jennyjoan]

Maybe mama

[New Judge]

//I believe the RASC (Cataracts) is in a different location altogether.//

But then that's the problem. Why should they be? For whose benefit is that?

I'm not sure it matters who the patient sees at an early stage. Eye problems must be diagnosable by all eye doctors. No private eye clinic would insist on patients making two trips to separate locations for problems with the same pair of eyes. They would be examined by an eye specialist and treatment planned all in the same place.

This simple problem is symptomatic of all that is wrong with the NHS. If a patient has eye problems they should be able to go to one place and have the problems addressed at the same time. It's ludicrous to insist that patients traipse around the country to get similar problems treated.

[Mamyalynne]

Because Ophthalmology has a hefy waiting list and deals with all types of eye conditions, therefore Regional Assessment and Surgery Centres have been set up to get patients with such conditions as cataracts,varicose veins etc seen quickly and the problems corrected.

[Mamyalynne]

* hefty

[Sqad]

Providing that both apps are in the same hospital I cannot for the life of me think of a reason why both apps cannot be combined as I am sure they will.