BIG NEWS for people with visual problems after BI

[pinkvision]

All credit goes to 'Writer on Stack' for sharing this information.

There is a health authority that provides optometry services for people with visual issues.

Leeds NHS Trust have independent optometrists working as part of their team here's the link

leedsth.nhs.uk/services/opt...

The only downside is that none of them have specific brain injury stated interest areas.

Here's a video they have shared about this project, it's 8 years old.

youtu.be/S_sDePYFAxk?si=9s_...(Not working as expected?)

A key phrase one of the interviewees states is 'critical mass', this means that if enough people ask to be referred with BI's then they will have to tackle the problem.

If you are not in the Leeds area you can still ask your GP to refer you because Leeds is the only health service as far as I know providing this type of testing and treatment.

Go for it; create the critical mass.

I feel excited because my first 2 posts on this site six years ago were about the amazing difference optometry made after my BI. Life changing indeed and it kick started my recovery journey. without that I'd still be a dribbling, non verbal, jibbering idiot.

[Writeronstack]

Complete coincidence that I knew about it at all - I don't live anywhere near Leeds - but my own optometrist was from there, I think. She was outstanding, and got me to see a neuro-opthalmologist because she could see something (which either was there, or wasn't) in the scan she did, before annd after my injury.

Sadly, she's now left the practice near where I live, and moved to a bigger city, closer to her home - she wants to start a family !😀

[pinkvision in reply to Writeronstack]

Thanks for sharing this, it may make a difference to how people relate their visual issues.

Knowing that a service exists is important and provides more choice.

[pinkvision in reply to Writeronstack]

Another thought, did you see your optometrist on the NHS or was that private?

[Writeronstack]

NHS - my GP was impressed by the specific nature of what my optometrist had noticed - and she had particular places where she thought I should be sent. So she was happy to send me to Oxford. Its a bit of a drive away, but hey, it's getting looked at.....

[pinkvision in reply to Writeronstack]

If you saw your optometrist on the NHS then there's another provider.

Your GP sent you to an optometrist who worked in the NHS and then the optometrist referred you to an ophthalmologist, is that right?

[Writeronstack in reply to pinkvision]

No, my optometrist was working for my local Specsavers - and my GP did not send me there. That's partly why she was so impressed by the quality of the work, I suspect, and the specific nature of her conclusions.

My optometrist had married and moved to this area, and the job at Specsavers was a bit of a hiatus, I gather. I think her interest was in research, but that was somewhat superceded by the desire to have a family. She'll go back to research and said that she wanted to know something about complications after brain injuries - but first, the body clock . . .

[pinkvision in reply to Writeronstack]

Ah I see, your optometrist did not work for the NHS. I've been referred back to my GP twice from Specsavers after their standard tests. Both times they said the tests revealed a visual processing issue and that I should be referred to an ophthalmologist.

This is the standard procedure.

I ended up going to a private behavioral optometrist because the ophthalmologists had no idea and diagnosed the issue as a psychological problem.

The optometrist did totally different test and identified multiple visual processing issues and even knew what parts of the brain were damaged then corrected them with different lenses over three years.

The skills my optometrist has are not provided by the NHS.

My optometrist has now retired but she said these were the best people in the UK for optometry/ vestibular testing and treatment. Just in case you still have issues after your vision treatment.

johnpglover.co.uk/

[Writeronstack]

Thank you. That's useful to know.. but my problem was to do with my eyes. So opthalmology was the right place for me.However my vision has steadied off and visual acuity improved. So far from unhappy with Oxford..

[pinkvision in reply to Writeronstack]

That's brilliant.