"A credit to the NHS"

I have attended the eye clinic at Peterborough for several years now because of damage to my right eye linked to diabetes. In general the standard of treatment and care I have received has been excellent. My feeling two years ago was that my right eye was probably a lost cause. I therefore owe a great debt to the consultant and his team in identifying the treatments needed and persevering with them over this extended period. I have undergone two operations (one under general and the other under local anaesthetic) and these have been followed up with a course of three lucentis injections. In each case, I have been advised very carefully of the potential benefits and of the associated risks, so that I have been able to take well informed decisions as to whether to proceed. The care and consideration I have been shown during all of the above procedures has been exemplary, with every effort made to ensure that I was comfortable and to provide confidence. The outpatients clinic is generally very busy and I have experienced delays but all members of staff of the department show great respect for the patients. On one occasion, when the delay was fairly lengthy, members of the nursing staff provided tea and biscuits, which were much appreciated. I am aware from a recent visit that procedures are reviewed to optimise the use of staff time and to eliminate unnecessary attendance at the clinic. When I first attended the clinic, I felt that the appointments system was poor with appointments set for months ahead with no system in place to remind patients nearer the date. That problem has now been tackled very comprehensively and it would now be very difficult indeed for anyone to miss an appointment by mistake. I was surprised to read some of the previous adverse comments on this forum about the ophthalmology department and am therefore happy to be able to record my own very positive experience.