Daughters eyesight, help please

[onyabikeivy]

Dd5 started reception in September. We have never noticed any issues with her sight or eyes. she's been to preschool and a childminder and nothing he ever come up from them. Last week she had vision screening at school and came home with a letter saying they want to further investigate and we would receive a letter in 8 weeks with a hospital appointment. 8 weeks is a long time if she's struggling so booked her in with an optician for a test, they pre called me yesterday and I explained they said no problem. Went to the appointment today and the optician said there's nothing he can do as she's been referred to the hospital. But offered to do a brief test. Turns out she is very long sighted in one eye so will definitely need glasses possibly a patch.... but we've got to wait for the hospital letter and the subsequent appointment... could anyone tell me if we have any alternative to waiting for the letter from the nhs please?? Or even better if anyone has had the same and lives in Cambridgeshire did it take 8 weeks to hear?? Thanks if you've read this!!

Had you never taken her for an eye test before? Dd was diagnosed with long sight at 18 months old and still wears glasses now at age 16. It's good they've caught it early on so she can get glasses to help her to see properly

Dementedpixie No we hadn't, we'd never noticed any issues with her eyes until the screening ... which makes me feel terrible. I just wish we could get her some glasses or something to be helping her while we're waiting to hear from the hospital

I think waiting 8 weeks is fine. Nothing's likely to get worse in that time, and she's managed so far without any obvious problems. Don't worry, they'll get her sorted out with glasses or whatever else might be needed.

Go to the optician. You must have a local one. Even a specsavers. It’s all free on the NHS, eye test and glasses for under 16s.

Yes, it’s a shock, but get an appointment soon and see what they say. If it’s too complex they’ll refer to the hospital for patching.

Kids eyes compensate for each other at that age so they can hide eye problems. Eye tests should really be treated the same as dental appointments and started as a younger child. Probably the reason the screening tests were brought in I suppose

She's already seen an optician and is waiting for an appointment with the hospital orthoptist department

Thanks everyone, it's true it's been 5 years it's not going to be make or break to wait the 8 weeks ... I really wish i hadn't interfered by taken her to the opticians today, she was upset when they said she might need a patch

You could google to see if there are any private orthoptists in your area.
Otherwise wait for the referral.
My ds has this exact thing and luckily we got it picked up just before he started school as I happened to take him to the opticians with my older children.
It was a big shock and we felt very guilty for not getting him checked earlier, but from the reading I've done and what my optician friend tells me, it probably wouldn't have made any difference in the long run. They can improve the vision with glasses and patching up to about 8 and 6 is the age to start before, according to nhs website.
Long story short, 5 is fine and shouldn't make any difference that treatment wasn't started earlier! That's why they do the screening in reception.

How thorough was the test they did? Dd did wear a patch but not right at the start. Her sight in one eye was poorer than the other and the patch helps encourage the bad eye to improve

Regarding taking her to the opticians, my ds was given glasses at the opticians while he waited for the referral and in only a few weeks of wearing them, when he had his hospital referral his vision had already improved a bit.

In our area all first appointments are done at the eye clinic at the hospital, then after that you just go to the opticians as normal.

Cloudy that's really helpful thank you. The optician today said they wouldn't help until she's discharged from the hospital which he said could be a year ... I'm wondering if I could try a different optician now or I'll at least definitely look at private ones, thank you.
Dementedpixie he held a card over one eye and asked her to read letters, even the first larger ones she was trying to lean around the card as it was over her good eye saying she couldn't see. She got a bit distressed. He then put the machine in front of her eyes and the red and green up on the screen and said he'd be able to tell from that, which is when he said she'll definitely need glasses

My dd was under hospital care until around the age of 7/8 until her sight was stabilised and then she was discharged to local optician care

A very basic test then. A proper test will involve dilating eye drops and will take a bit longer

IfWishesWereFishes i wish that was what we had here. I have an older ds who is 13 and he had screening done before he was due to start school as routine. I wish this had been the case now as when she brought the letter home after screening it didn't mention any details, at least I would have been there to know what the found with out going to the optician today

Dementedpixie yeah we were in there only a few minutes.

I think I'm misunderstanding; why don't you want the hospital appointment? Sure it's longer than getting a Specsavers appointment but young kids eyesight needs to be watched until it stabilises.

With ds the optician used eye drops and did a thorough test and decided to prescribe glasses as he felt the lazy eye was so much worse he'd rather start glasses in case there was a long wait for a referral.
So it obviously varies from optician to optician what approach they take.

IfWishesWereFishes I was just hoping to get her help as soon as possible, the letter is going to be 8 weeks which will tell me when the appointment is, I thought the optician would be able to get her some help a lot sooner. Feel really bad that she's having to go to school etc without the help she needs for her eyes

Cloudydays I've replied and don't think it posted so I'm probably repeating it. Our optician today was reluctant to do the test he did. I might call round a few tomorrow and explain, there's plenty to choose from round here

I'd just wait for the appt. You don't want multiple tests using dilating eye drops, if that's what's needed (based on advice above).

Cotton that's a good point, I hadn't really thought about eye drops until it was mentioned on here. She was upset enough today, I can't see her liking drops

Yeah you dont want to put her off the hospital eye test by getting the drops at the optician. Your dd has coped up till now and knows no different so she will be fine for a few more weeks

Dementedpixie thats right. I'm going to wait now. Thanks everyone for the help

I think it's fine to wait. You haven't noticed anything untoward because she's coping with it.
I am ridiculously short sighted, but no one realised until I was about 8 - when I walked out in the road in front of a car. I simply didn't see it. I had no idea that my eyes needed to work any differently than they did, so nothing seemed wrong. I still remember the first time I put my glasses on. It was completely incredible.
She'll be fine waiting, and it's better to follow the process and get it done right than trying to circumnavigate the system.