Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC)

Having attended hospital annually for approx 5 years I have been discharged because I didn't book my appointment within 14 days. Reason is I was on holiday.

I was sent to the hospital by my GP as was suffering with severe pressure in my eye along with headache. I arrived at the hospital and was not seen by a doctor until 7.30 pm and a blood test was done but no pain relief given. At 9.00 pm was taken up to a waiting room on a ward as department closed to public. Was told at 10.30 pm that my bloods were back and I was next patient to be seen. This did not happen as a number of patients were called before me and I had been there for 5 hours longer than them. Finally seen doctor at 12.10 pm and discharged. I was given my first drink at 9.30 pm and during the 10 and a half hours waiting around was not offered anything to eat. If the hospital had kept me informed on what was going on the experience could have been a little better. Waiting times are not acceptable and it was very frustrating for everyone.

i went to the day centre at 12 midday, i went into theatre around 3.50pm, i was ready to go home at 5pm. My surgeon and the results of the operation are amazing, i cannot thank this very competent surgeon enough, she is a very very nice, caring lady, i dont know how i can thank her and her team who were in theatre at the time enough, i would also like to say a big thank you to the staff who looked after me before and after the operation, thank you all very much. x

From HCAs to Kitchen Staff, everyone has made me feel welcome and treated with me compassion. The doctors are lovely and actually give you time to explain how you're feeling! I was also given my own room and that extra bit of privacy makes all the difference. So again a huge thanks to all of the staff on the ward!

Bad no-one would answer the phone! Central appointments wouldn't change it.

My (private!) contactologist suggested I should go for a thorough eye examination, because I might have a condition developing. So I went to my GP to get a referral to the Eye Clinic. That was the middle of April. Three months later, in July, I went back to the GP centre and the receptionists kindly followed up my referral - giving me the shocking answer that there is a minimum of 12 weeks' waiting time, plus a lay off period up to 18 weeks before the Eye Centre even have to allocate me an appointment. Needless to say, even when I got back from my holiday in August, I had not even received a single letter.

Thank you very much for the "opportunity".

Nurses rude and have no personal skills the eye test and BMI is pointless and carried out by people who clearly are bored don't understand what they are doing and care even less. The doctors are pleasant and helpful generally but on 4 visits so far 2 hour plus waiting times are normal.

Visited urgent care centre this morning for appointment at 09.00 and seen by nurse within 5 minutes of arrival and then by /nurse within another 5 minutes.
sorted out my problem and gave me advise for the future.Many thanks to all for a friendly and efficient service.

My husband has repeated cysts on his eye lid. Currently there is a sty and a cyst, 6 weeks after the last surgery to remove it. The triage nurse said this was not a matter for eye casualty before even looking at the problem. My husband is diabetic with sight threatening retinopathy and was experiencing pain from the size of the cyst pressing on his eye. He had followed all of the advice to relieve the cyst but it hadn't worked. If the nurse had looked at the eye before dismissing us, had listened to the background of sight-threatening problems, we wouldn't have felt so unhappy. The nurse told us to go to the pharmacy for some over the counter medication. However, the pharmacist told us that there was nothing she could give us which would improve it at all and that we should go back to eye casualty.
Our past experience of doctors at the eye centre has been very good. There is no excuse for neglecting the basics. Compassion, competence and care.

I've recently had cataract surgery and have been impressed by the professional, yet friendly way I was dealt with by everyone on the team.