What to expect

On your visit, please report to the eye clinic outpatients desk (B29) where you will need to hand in your letter and wait in the waiting room for the orthoptist.

There is a small play area for the children. Please bring any glasses that you may have. Your appointment with the orthoptist will last between 20 minutes and 40 minutes.

It may be necessary to see the optician/ ophthalmologist after your orthoptic appointment which will make your appointment significantly longer.

Eye drops

Dilating drops may be necessary for the optician or ophthalmologist to assess the eyes. This may be instilled by the orthoptist after the orthoptic assessment, or you may be given the drops to instil at home before you arrive for your appointment.

The drops relax the focussing muscles of the eyes and dilate (widen) the pupil. The drops will take around half an hour to work and can last up to 24 hours. They do sting slightly for a few seconds after instillation and will blur near vision.

Your child will be more light sensitive when their pupils are dilated therefore if you know they will require drops please bring a hat/ sunglasses along if it is a bright day.

Children are usually fine to return to school but parents should inform the teacher that their child’s eyes may be blurred for close work.

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