DES and the NHS (UK)

[brd888]

Nhs

If I may defend the NHS, your GP and Opthalmologist simply are not up to the task of treating dry eye. Your GP isn't knowledgeable on every subject of medicine and most NHS Ophthalmologists will not have time to give you a fair consultation.
I would advise finding an Optometrist with interest in dry eye in your area. This is where I have found the most help in finding out about my dry eye, and being NHS it was a free service.

[jlg_uk]

Hi brd888

Thanks for your input. Do you mean "find an optometrist on the NHS", or that you don't think the NHS should really asked to help with dry eye issues? If the latter, then I'd have to disagree - dry eye problems change many people's lives pretty significantly and I think the NHS should help. GP's don't know everything - fair enough, but the fact that ophthalmologists (who really are the people that should know) may not have the time during a consultation to know about or treat dry eye issues doesn't remove the need for them to help their patients with it.

If the former, how do you get to see an optometrist on the NHS?

I don't think we need to rely on being lucky enough to find an optometrist who knows something about dry eye. I didn't think they can (in the UK)t prescribe most meds anyway (or has that changed?).

[brd888]

Nhs

Jlg,
I mean you need to find an Optometrist, on the NHS, who has an interest in Dry Eye. Ok it's not easy and 9/10 have little interest in it but I managed to find one 30 mins away by googling. I don't know if it is the same in England yet but in Scotland we are allowed 1 eye exam every 2 years free on the NHS.
There are plans to allow Optometrists to issue prescription drugs but not as yet. At the end of the day there are very few presciption treatments out there anyway but if you need Doxy for instance, your Optometrist can advise your GP to prescribe it.
And, yes, I agree Ophthalmologists should have the time and interest to help dry eye patients. But it is cold fact that they have neither the time nor inclination to help.
Just read some of Dr L's views: dry eye patients need a long consultation and several return visits to get some control....

Rgds,
Bruce.

[jlg_uk]

Thanks again for your thoughts Bruce.

In England only select groups get free eye exams I think - which means I have to pay. I don't mind paying for an eye exam, but it's not great to simply keep paying for exams with different optometrists most of whom are really only interest in glasses/contacts (though I do concede that there is also a general eye health component of their work too) just in the hope of seeing one that recognises dry eye problems.

Again agree that most ophthalmologists are probably only interested in major eye problems and perhaps dry eye doesn't seem to be a big deal to them (lot's of people irrespective of geographical location seem to find this). However, I maintain that life affecting dry eye should be treated by the NHS (GP or ophthalmologist) and you shouldn't need to go to a private optometrist (or NHS optometrist in your case) due to NHS disinterest or lack of resource etc.

[brd888]

Nhs

Hello again,
Yes I agree. Almost all optometrists up here are NHS anyway so it's not the "NHS" which isn't interested - it is the individual medic.

I did a search and found a Dr Barnard practising at Barnard Levit in London - is this near you?

...."Dr. Barnard’s main clinical interests lie in the fields of Paediatrics, Learning Difficulties and Dry Eye Management"..

however, as you are probably aware, there is no quick cure.

good luck.

[rp123]

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