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On Saturday 10 March 2018, the vision in my left eye was affected by a large ‘floater’ and the occurrence of flashing lights each time I moved my eye. Fearing that I might be suffering from a detaching retina, and so in danger of losing my sight, I telephoned QA Hospital Portsmouth at 9:30 a.m. and described my symptoms.

I was immediately given an 11:00 appointment, even though the ophthalmology department closes at lunch time on Saturday. I arrived at 10:55 and was greeted courteously by the receptionist who took my details. She told me that the average wait to be seen by a nurse was currently 20 minutes and that everyone had been seen by a doctor within 47 minutes.

Within 20 minutes I was seen by a nurse who took my clinical and health history details and put drops into my eyes to enlarge the pupils.

After 45 minutes I was seen by a doctor who was immediately friendly and courteous. He introduced himself took an immediate exploratory look at my eye and was able to reassure me that I did not have a detaching retina. He also explained the process that was taking place in my eye and how it was likely to develop.

I happened also to have been suffering from Blepharitis in the same eye for some time and had difficulty shaking it off despite the efforts of my GP. The doctor volunteered to help me with this complaint also and prescribed an antibiotic which is normally used to treat acne but which is also effective for Blepharitis - a specialized treatment that may well have been unfamiliar to my GP.

The doctor also booked me in to see an eye specialist about the possibility of minor surgery on my eyelid. He wrote me a prescription which I took to the hospital pharmacy and which was filled for me within 30 minutes.

By lunchtime I was leaving QA having had a thorough examination of my eye by an expert professional and with prescribed medicine to treat an unrelated eye problem.

One hears and reads constant criticism in the media of NHS Hospitals, including QA Portsmouth. I have to say that when a potentially dangerous emergency threatened my sight, I received world class medical treatment from QA Portsmouth immediately, in a friendly, courteous and highly professional manner. I cannot speak too highly of the service that I received when I needed it. That this service was provided a ten minute drive from my home, free of charge, and without any fuss or bureaucracy is little short of miraculous.

We truly live in a golden age of free medical treatment delivered to an incredibly high level of professionalism and free at the point of delivery.