If you have received a text message or letter from Enhanced Optometry Services (EOS), an appointment has been arranged for you at our community glaucoma clinic at Portland Medical Practice in Colchester.
Your appointment has been arranged at the request of the glaucoma team at Colchester Hospital, following their assessment that you are suitable for monitoring in a community setting. Although your appointment takes place at our community clinic, you remain under the care of your hospital eye clinic glaucoma team, who oversee your ongoing care and determine your follow-up arrangements.
How You Will Be Notified
We use a combination of text messages and letters to keep you informed about your appointment.
- Initial text message: You will receive a text confirming that an appointment has been booked, including the date, time and location.
- Appointment letter: This will follow your initial text message and provide written confirmation of your appointment.
- One-week reminder: We will send you a reminder text approximately one week before your appointment.
- 24-hour reminder: A further text reminder will be sent approximately 24 hours before your appointment.
Please check your messages and appointment letter carefully and make a note of your appointment date and time.
If You Cannot Attend
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can rearrange it.
Giving us as much notice as possible allows the appointment time to potentially be offered to another patient who is waiting for an appointment.
Please telephone 01206 329043 and quote your NHS number when calling.
If you do not attend without letting us know, this may delay your next review and means that valuable clinic time is wasted.
Preparing for Your Appointment
To help us make the most of your appointment, please remember to bring:
- Your appointment letter.
- Your current spectacles.
- A list of any eye drops and other medications you are using.
Please arrive in good time for your appointment.
If you use glaucoma eye drops, continue taking them as prescribed unless you have been advised otherwise by your eye-care professional.
Your appointment is specifically for glaucoma or ocular hypertension monitoring. Please continue to see your own optometrist for routine sight tests, spectacle prescriptions and general eye care.
What Happens When You Arrive?
Portland Medical Practice accommodates several community healthcare services, so you may see patients attending other clinics, including diabetic eye screening, hearing services and community midwifery.
When you arrive, please follow the signs directing you to the appropriate waiting area and take a seat. There is not generally a receptionist available for the EOS clinic, so you do not need to check in at a reception desk.
A member of the EOS clinical team will come to the waiting area and call you when it is time for your appointment.
Your visit will include the following investigations, where clinically appropriate and feasible:
- Visual field testing to assess your peripheral vision.
- Measurement of the pressure inside your eyes.
- Examination of your optic nerves.
- OCT scanning to obtain detailed images of the structures at the back of your eyes.
These investigations help provide the information needed for your hospital glaucoma team to review your condition and plan your ongoing care.
Please be aware that your appointment may involve several tests and can take some time to complete.
Eye Drops During Your Appointment
As part of your examination, we use Goldmann applanation tonometry to measure the pressure inside your eyes. This requires the use of anaesthetic eye drops to numb the surface of the eye temporarily.
The anaesthetic drops do not normally affect your ability to drive after the appointment.
Pregnancy: If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, please contact us before your appointment. We may need to confirm with the hospital glaucoma team which investigations are appropriate for you.
Dilating eye drops, which temporarily enlarge the pupils, are not routinely used during these appointments.
Finding the Clinic
Portland Medical Practice
Ypres Road
Colchester
CO2 7UW
The EOS community glaucoma clinic is located within Portland Medical Practice. Please follow the signs to the appropriate waiting area when you arrive.
Need to Change Your Appointment?
If you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible.
Telephone:
Please quote your NHS number when calling and, where possible, give us as much notice as you can.