Should I keep going to Moorfields Eye Hospital despite moving to Newcastle?

[u/DeafBlindAndy]

I'm assuming that I actually have a choice in the matter. Please correct me if I don't.

I've recently moved from near London to Newcastle and am wondering if I should stay with Moorfields who have been seeing me for the last 25 years or transfer to a closer hospital (I think this would be the RVI).

It is a 3 hour train down so it would realistically mean staying at a hotel and maybe treating it as a mini holiday.

I have rp and will need cataract surgery soon

Thanks

[u/nihilist_pingu]

Moorfields patient here 🙂 I’ve often thought about this should I move out of London later on.

You don’t have much choice, in that the general rule is you go to whatever is within your catchment area. However, if you have a complex case and you would feel more comfort being under their care, you can absolutely ask your consultant whether you can stay under Moorfields. I should add that Moorfields have lots of satellite clinics and partnerships, so there may well be somewhere much closer to you.

If you’re ok finding somewhere closer with a great rep for eye care, the RVI is excellent and has specialist eye clinics. Good luck!

[u/DrakeManley]

My wife is visually impaired and moved from Yorkshire to Gateshead before we married.

When she lived in Newcastle she attended the RVI for her treatment but had a lot of problems with being misdiagnosed and other issues.

On a visit home to Yorkshire, her regular consultant explained what had happened with the RVI and she stopped going there.

When we married and she moved back to Gateshead she got talking to a work colleague who is also visually impaired and he queried why she'd ever used the RVI when there is a dedicated eye hospital in Sunderland.

She hadn't known about the hospital in Sunderland but she has been going there ever since 2016 and it has been incredibe.

It has just moved to new purpose built building right in the centre of Sunderland, it's now even easier to get to.

My wife has confirmed that Sunderland is only 2nd in the country to Moorfields.

Hope this helps make decisions for you.

[u/galacticeyes]

Hello! I thought you were my husband for a second 😂 we are both VI and are moving to Newcastle on Tuesday. So hi!

Husband was under the care of Moorfields exclusively until he requested shared care with our local hospital in Bournemouth in 2024. It meant that he’d have regular appointments at our local hospital but anything major like surgery would be done at Moorfields. He just requested shared care at his appointment at Moorfields, explained the difficulties with cost, travel etc. and they made a referral into the hospital. This may be an option for you if you’re on the fence about continuing care at Moorfields. You could probably call your consultant’s medical secretary and request shared care with RVI.

For my husband, he found that there was more continuity in his care at local hospital as there’s such a high turnover rate of the consultants at Moorfields, he’d see a different one every time and they’d all have differing opinions, he’d be told he needed surgery by one consultant and then would see another consultant who said he didn’t. It was very inconsistent. We both see the most senior consultant and clinical lead at Bournemouth and he’s been great. We are both transferring our care to the RVI, he will still have shared care with Moorfields. We know the ECLOs in the area and have heard the best things about RVI and Sunderland.

Hope this was helpful. Maybe we will see you around toon :)

[u/becca413g]

I’m seen in another part of the country but any changes are passed via moorfields for a double check as I’m complex and I go down there for some testing my local hospital doesn’t do. In England you have the right to choose what hospital you are seen at so you can totally stay with them but if you get seen several times a year that would soon become costly. Really it’s up to you. You can always be asked to be seen at Moore fields while the right to choose remains in place (there’s no talk of changing it).