Your NHS journey

Who's who?

Meet the team whose help will be on offer:

1. The GP

   Either your GP or your optometrist is likely to be your first port of call if you've noticed problems with your eyesight, for example, if your eyes are hurting or your sight is affected. Your GP will refer you to a specialist if your symptoms suggest that you have glaucoma.

2. The optometrist

   An optometrist examines eyes, tests your sight and provides glasses and contact lenses. They generally work in high street opticians. Optometrists are also trained to recognise eye diseases and vision defects and may pick up glaucoma during a routine eye test.

3. Hospital specialist

   The eye specialist, or ophthalmologist, is a hospital-based doctor who has undergone specialist training in eye diseases such as glaucoma, and their treatment and surgery. The ophthalmologist will examine your eyes to assess your glaucoma and decide on the best treatment for you depending on how severe your condition is and what may be causing it. He or she may then oversee your treatment follow up, or may refer you back to your optometrist.

4. Ophthalmic nurse

   An ophthalmic nurse is a nurse who has skills in eye care. Ophthalmic nurses work in hospital eye departments.

5. The pharmacist

   If you need to take medication for your glaucoma, your Pharmacist can be a very useful source of information for you when it comes to wanting to know how best to take your medicine. See more on the role of the Pharmacist.

6. NHS Direct

   NHS Direct is a 24-hour helpline which gives you access to confidential healthcare advice and information, provided by a nurse. You can contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647. If you prefer, you can get health information online at the NHS Choiceswebsite.

Seeing your GP

If you see your GP with eye symptoms and he or she suspects from your symptoms that you may have glaucoma, he or she will refer you to an ophthalmologist for further tests.

Seeing the optometrist

If your optometrist finds, after doing an eye test, that you have glaucoma, he or she will advise you to see your GP so you can be referred to an ophthalmologist for further tests.

At the hospital

Depending on local guidelines, you may be referred directly to a consultant specialist glaucoma clinic or to a nurse-led glaucoma assessment clinic to confirm that you have glaucoma and decide on your treatment. This depends on:

• How developed the glaucoma is.
• How much damage the glaucoma has done to your eyes.
• What may have caused your glaucoma.

See where medicines fit in for more information on the type of treatment you're likely to be prescribed.

In some cases, your ophthalmologist will continue to treat you. But, you may be referred back to your optometrist who will continue your treatment.

CA/SS/NON/0097 Date of preparation May 2013