"A Little Disappointed"

For the attention of the Practice Manager

Dear sirs,

As retired professional people, we have great faith in the National Health Service and have received excellent care from them in the past and more recently. But recently my only option for an appointment was at Chelsfield hospital for a cataract examination as other NHS hospitals were fully booked and not taking further appointments.

After a recent consultation and tests with my optician for cataracts, they concluded that I had a cataract in my right eye with another forming in the other eye. The next step as far as they were concerned was to have further investigation by a local hospital leading to an operation to have at least the worst cataract removed. They checked the list for NHS hospitals in the area who were taking cataract operations, and none were available. However, it appeared that Chelsfield Park Hospital were taking bookings for NHS patients to see a consultant. An appointment was duly made for Monday 28th October at 17:10

On arriving at the hospital, I reported to the reception desk for the appointment and the receptionist said loudly in words to the effect of, “Oh, you’re an NHS referral”. giving the impression that NHS referrals were somehow less important than private patients.

I saw a consultant who carried out similar tests to that done by my optician. However, whereas my optician explained each procedure. For example drops in the eyes, he explained that I would have to wait for about 30 minutes for my pupils to expand to enable a better examination of the back of the eye.

The consultant who examined me at the hospital, put similar drops in my eyes and just said please wait outside, without explaining why the drops were given and for how long I had to wait. Near the end of the consultation, I had to put my chin on a rest and look at a screen showing a circle of tiny red dots. After a period, the consultant explained that his equipment was not powerful enough to view the back of the eye through the cataract and that he would have to refer me via my GP to a local NHS hospital who have more powerful equipment. He also explained that the eye procedure would also be carried out at the NHS hospital.

In my opinion, following the consultation, my overall impression was that their seemed to be a certain approach attached to NHS referrals and the experience left me frustrated and back where I had started.

Yours sincerely

David J Nuckley (NHS patient)