"Being talked about made me more anxious"

I was given an urgent appointment and was really impressed that I could be seen almost immediately and didn't have to wait days or weeks for an appointment.

I arrived into a very busy waiting area, but received a very warm welcome from the receptionist who quickly checked me in. 

I went to sit in the waiting area and was seen by the nurse within about 5 minutes of my arrival. They weren't very friendly and was lacking interpersonal skills, but they were efficient in their role so I couldn't really complain. They asked what my concern was, checked my vision and did some other tests. They told me I would see the doctor next and sent me back out to the waiting room.

It wasn't a long wait before I saw the doctor and I was then told I would need my pupils dilating. The doctor was very gentle but the drops did sting a lot! I was sent back to the waiting area for 10 minutes then the doctor came back to see if I was ok. I then had a thorough eye examination and I was given some reassurance which made me feel better. The doctor was talking to another member of staff during my examination and they were discussing my eyes between them without involving me. I was becoming very anxious hearing certain words that to me must be something bad, but the doctor reassured me at the end that everything was ok. Maybe just consider what is being said in the room without involving the patient, as it would make an already anxious patient more anxious.