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What if......

Posted: Mon 14 May 2007 6:02 pm
by donna
you live somewhere that has no eye emergency clinic? What do you do then?

Posted: Mon 14 May 2007 6:05 pm
by John Smith
Make your way to the "regular" A&E. They should have an ophthalmic registrar on call.

Posted: Mon 14 May 2007 6:09 pm
by donna
My regular A+E is a nightmare place :shock: that is what worries me! I have sat there in a room for hours on end while my son has a heavy bleed.

Posted: Mon 14 May 2007 8:44 pm
by Andrew MacLean
donna

You have identified a major problem with healthcare in any system: the more remote your home the less available ophthalmological services will be. The same thing applies in the United States, in Canada, in South Africa, ... it applies everywhere.

I guess the issue is one of lifestyle choices. People choose to live in places they love. Sometimes these choices have downsides as well as upsides. I love the town where i live, but it can be boysterous and noisy; on the other hand I live close to medical services that meet my needs.

A friend lives in the remote country; he has all the tanquility you can want, but he lives 70 minutes by ambulance from the nearest A and E. Neither of us would swap.

One thing you could do is get your GP to gen up on your condition. It may be that your GP has some ophthalmological experience from medical school.

All the best

Andrew

Posted: Mon 14 May 2007 9:19 pm
by donna
Your right Andrew.
Its surprising that a city the size of this has no eye hospital or casualty, we are refered to Newcastle which is a good 60 ish miles away.
good idea getting my gp on board, she is very suportive and approachable so that is an option.

Posted: Mon 14 May 2007 9:58 pm
by Elizabeth R
my hospital up road .and i do not want to move. :P