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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Totally frustrated by doctor's surgery- am I being unreasonable?

24 replies

marantha · 24/06/2010 18:49

About 7 weeks ago, I attended a well-known optician's for an eye check.
The optician said my eyes were "fine" but one of them was a little "dry" and she'd write to my GP recommending natural tears for it.
I rang doctor's surgery, and was told to pick up a prescription for natural tears (it was NOT recommended by receptionist to actually see GP).
END OF. Or so I thought... Received letter today from outpatients' dept. saying that my GP had referred me to opthalmologist and I'd have an appointment in due course.

This confused me, so I rang doctor's surgery and asked why had I been referred owing to fact that optician said eyes were fine.

According to their records, I had NOT been referred by them. (The optician I saw had NOT referred me, either. She'd just wrote to GP ONLY)>
I am so frustrated by this. Am I being unreasonable by actually feeling like crying? I thought my eyes were OK, what the heck is going on?

OP posts:

Trifle · 24/06/2010 19:03

You're being a little dramatic here aren't you. It seems an extremely efficient chain of events with you getting exemplary attention.

Whether you go for the opthamologist appt is entirely up to you but what harm is there in it?

I for one cant see why you are making a fuss, certainly nothing worth crying over.

SagacityNell · 24/06/2010 19:06

Your GP probably want s to check over your eyes before prescribing anything. YABU to be so dramatic about it.

3littlefrogs · 24/06/2010 19:08

Dry eyes are always worth checking out anyway, so I would go along with it TBH.

lal123 · 24/06/2010 19:09

How strange? I wonder who referred you then? Can't you phone opthalmologists reception and ask who made the referral? Seems very odd to have an outpatient appointment for a dry eye - and a waste of an NHS appointment. I'd be frustrated too

Firawla · 24/06/2010 19:10

if you dont want the apt then cancel it? or if you are worried about your eyes now, or just want to check it then go along ans see
i think yabu to make such a big deal of it

diamondsandtiaras · 24/06/2010 19:27

the opthalmologist should know who referred you........I would call and ask. Nothing to get upset over though.

Original poster

marantha · 24/06/2010 19:55

I am sorry. I feel like crying out of frustration because I've made about 10 or so phone calls regarding this trying to get to bottom of it.

All it started with on my part was an innocent enough inquiry as in, " Thought my eyes were OK, why have I been referred to opthalmologist?" I was NOT rude or stroppy -just curious to know why, that's all.

Only to be told that they hadn't referred me.
(or if they had, they couldn't see a reason for it).

I am peed off because:
a, I find it frustrating because I don't understand why they've done this.
b, I'd have to have time off work to attend appt.
c, It's a waste of taxpayers' money if it's unneccesary as an appointment.

OP posts:

KickButtowski · 24/06/2010 20:08

er make an appt to see your GP and ask why you have been referred.

You have wasted your own time by making phonecalls to the receptionist presumably who has no idea other than notes on your file. Get straight to the point for a proper answer and then you will know whether it is worth worrying about or not.

Original poster

marantha · 24/06/2010 20:13

kickButtowski GP didn't know either!

OP posts:

KickButtowski · 24/06/2010 20:19

OK I am starting to feel your frustration now.

In which case I would still go and see GP and ask them to review your "symptoms" etc and ask would you refer me? If they say yes then go, and if they say no then don't go.

LittleMissHissyFit · 24/06/2010 20:33

"I am peed off because:
a, I find it frustrating because I don't understand why they've done this.
b, I'd have to have time off work to attend appt.
c, It's a waste of taxpayers' money if it's unneccesary as an appointment."

d: Go along, they find something that needs looking at/remedying and paragraphs a, b and c are all blown out of the water....

Original poster

marantha · 24/06/2010 21:05

I realise that I may seen a bit drama- queenish in opening post, but I really don't like having eyes tested and it took a lot to get me to pluck up courage to get them done.

To be told eyes were OK and then get this appt and then be told by surgery that they don't know why I was referred has gotten me wound up.

And they wonder where the wastage in the NHS is!

OP posts:

nailonthehead · 24/06/2010 21:11

Ring the optician and ask to speak to the optician you saw (or get her to call you back if she is testing).Ask her to post you a copy of the letter she sent to the GP.Check also she hasn't referred you directly (not via GP) to the ophthalmologist.

Make an appointment with GP and take the letter with you and discuss if the appointment with the ophthalmologist should be cancelled.

Should be quite easy to sort out.

Agree with Trifle your reaction is quite OTT.

Original poster

marantha · 25/06/2010 07:19

I DID ring optician, she did not refer me directly. I shall discuss with GP if appt. is necessary.

It's OTT because going to optician is very stressful for me.

OP posts:

LittleMissHissyFit · 25/06/2010 19:49

hmm, marantha seems you have got a bit of an irrational fear about this haven't you.

It's OK, it'll be OK. We none of us like procedures/tests/being poked and prodded, and eyes are sensitive too.

Did you not actually SEE the Doctor when you asked about the natural tear stuff?? If you didn't, then tbh it IS a little odd, unless he (Doctor) is utterly clueless about opthalmics...

When is the appointment? You should hopefully have time to prepare, research and find out IF you DO need to go to the appointment.

If the optician didn't refer you, then call the Dr and ask him to explain if there really IS anything you need worry about, what could be the issue that he is suspecting. If there is none, AND (very important this) the treatment you are given for the dry eye works, then cancel the appointment, but go back to the Dr in a month or 2 for a review.

It's ok to be a bit OTT every so often, we all have our issues...

(queen of squeem here, will reincarnate as a fainting goat)

Stay calm, don't let this get to you. Have you tried Bachs Rescue Remedy? Tis very good!

nailonthehead · 25/06/2010 22:04

I did say to also ask the optician for a copy of her letter she sent to the GP so you can clarify what she actually wrote (data protection means you can have copies of records kept) and go to the GP with this.

You sound very stressed about something I wouldn't worry unduly about myself so I would think it is worth seeing the GP anyway.

I like Bachs rescue remedy for flying.

2rebecca · 25/06/2010 22:16

I'd make an appointment with the GP to discuss it. Opticians can now refer direct to hospital and it may be someone at the opticians sent a copy of the letter to the hospital by mistake. As all seem adament you just have dry eyes it's nothing to get upset about. Ophthalmologists sometimes see folk for dry eyes anyway (usually just to confirm diagnosis).
I agree that the ophthalmology clinic will be able to say who referred you, and if you don't want to go and just want to try the drops you could cancel.
Why is going to the optician so stressful? I like my optician and quite enjoy doing all the tests.

Original poster

marantha · 26/06/2010 08:15

LittleMissHissyFit
I didn't see GP - when I called surgery I was told that optician had wrote to them recommending natural tears and that all I had to do was pick up prescription.

I did ask doctor why I'd been referred to opthalmologist, he did not know, and according to him, I had not been referred by surgery.
The optician also denies referring me.

So, I am a bit confused by this.

I sound like an ungrateful cow here, don't I?
I am not. If there was a CLEAR reason why I needed to be referred, I'd be pleased to have this appt.
It's just I have no idea why.

OP posts:

LittleMissHissyFit · 26/06/2010 18:44

Weird! So no-one has referred you, but you have been referred....

Could you not go anyway, just to make sure your eye IS ok? Can someone go with you?

Just worries me that the optician says eyes are ok, but one is a bit dry, dry enough for you to warrant natural tears, and you have not been seen by a doctor to rule out anything serious.

Don't worry about it, I'm sure it IS fine, but just make sure, dry eyes can cause damage and complications all by themselves, apparently.

Be brave marantha, go and get it checked out properly.... please?

FlookCrow · 26/06/2010 20:22

I don't think you're overreacting at all, that sounds very frustrating and annoying to me.

SloanyPony · 26/06/2010 20:33

Eyes aren't dry anymore though, eh?

Very frustrating though, YANBU

lisianthus · 26/06/2010 20:35

How very tiresome and annoying for you! The person who has seen your eyes has said there is nothing wrong. The GP who hasn't looked at your eyes says he hasn't referred you, and not having seen your eyes would have no reason to think something is wrong anyway.

It sounds like some sort of bureaucratic screw-up, which has resulted in a total waste of your time in trying to find out what is going on. My sympathies.

Can the ophthalmologist to whom you were referred tell you who did the referring? You'll need to talk to his/her office anyway to cancel the appointment so you don't have to take yet more time off work to go to a pointless appointment. Good luck!

Bigpants1 · 26/06/2010 20:57

All you need do, is ring the number on the appointment letter you have, ask to be put through to Opthalmology clinic, and they will be able to tell you,(a) who referred you,(b) who you will be seeing, (c) what the appointment is for-ie, general check-up, or for something more specific.
Dont let this worry you needlessly, put it to the back of your mind,until your appoint. date.

macdoodle · 27/06/2010 00:07

The optician will have referred you I Have no doubt, it should be clear on the GP computer whether they did or not,whereas most opticians are still at paper note stage, I'd put good money on the optician so maybe its them you should be ranting at, can not quite see why you are cross with GP??

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