Alexandra Nicol, 43, attended a Saturday clinic at Specsavers Ripon in July 2023 with symptoms of blurred vision in her right eye. Having suffered from reduced vision for a week and it gradually getting worse, Alexandra booked a hospital appointment but was unable to be seen for at least three days. Feeling fit and well, Alex’s doctor had previously informed her that her blood pressure was raised but didn’t require immediate treatment.
Growing more concerned Alex called Specsavers Ripon, where optometrist director, Katherine Friis recognised the urgency and asked her to attend the practice’s already full, urgent health patient clinic on a Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. During her assessment Katherine, was able to see a blocked central vein (CRVO) in her right eye, which was causing fluid retention in her central vision area.
The recognised referral pathway for the eyes is normally to be assessed in the hospital within two weeks, but something such as a systemic health review must be done within two days, this is due to the possible underlying cause of the ocular vein blockage which could lead to a stroke or heart attack. Katherine Friis, at Specsavers Ripon, said: ‘As it was Saturday, I knew it would be two days before Alex could see a GP, I decided to take Alex's blood pressure and fo.