Non-communication between ophthalmologists and optometrists

Many patients seen in the British hospital eye service are referred by high -street optometrists; and, if the optometrist is to receive feedback from t he ophthalmologist, the patient should consent to disclosure of medical inf ormation. On the referral form (revised GOS 18) there is a space for this p urpose. We investigated the level of communication by asking optometrists i n our hospital catchment area about their use of the GOS 18 form and by exa mining the medical records of all new patients seen in the eye outpatient d epartment in one month. 79 optometrists (55%) returned the questionnaire. 54 routinely used the GOS 18; and, of these, 10 said they obtained patient consent always, 23 someti mes and 21 never. 158 of 555 sets of medical notes contained an optometrist 's referral, 107 of them on the revised GOS 18; and patient consent had bee n recorded on 17 of these forms. Ophthalmologists responded to the optometr ist in 2/17 (12%) cases where consent had been obtained and 15/90 (17%) whe re it had not. Ophthalmologists could provide much better feedback to optometrists. The GO S 18 form could be used more effectively; and there is no reason why patien t consent to disclosure of medical information should not be obtained by op hthalmologists as well as by optometrists.