This leaflet answers common questions about Finchley Memorial Hospital eye clinic.

Why have I been referred to the eye clinic at Finchley Memorial?

The glaucoma and retinal clinics at Finchley Memorial Hospital are for patients who require long-term monitoring of their stable eye condition. You may be seen at the clinic if you are a glaucoma patient receiving treatment to lower your eye pressure, but your condition is otherwise stable, or if you are not on treatment but still require monitoring.

Even if you have been seen by your optician recently you should still attend the appointment as your optician will not have access to your previous hospital records to see if there have been any changes in the health of your eyes.

What happens during the appointment?

At the clinic, you will meet ophthalmic technicians from the Royal Free London ophthalmology team who will carry out several tests and assessments on the day of your visit.

To reduce the number of hospital visits you must make, we try to carry out all the tests needed during one visit. Please allow one hour for the appointment.

At the appointment, you may have:

  • Your vision assessed.
  • Your eye pressure checked, and your treatment confirmed.
  • A visual field test to examine your area of vision and how well you see within that area.
  • Dilation eye drops put in so we can take high quality images of the back of both eyes. The drops may blur your vision and make you sensitive to light so please do not drive yourself to the appointment or operate heavy machinery for up to four hours after the drops have been inserted.
  • An image taken of your optic nerve (the cable that connects the eye to the brain) or retina (the tissue at the back of the eye) and/or a 3D scan.
  • Any symptoms or concerns you have recorded.

What should I bring with me?

Please remember to bring the following with you to the appointment:

  • A list of your current medication including any eye drops.
  • Your current glasses or any glasses you find helpful for reading/distance.
  • Your optician’s report if available, or your last letter from the hospital.

How will I find out the results of my tests?

Your test results will be reviewed by the ophthalmology team and a clinic letter will be sent to you in the post. If there is no significant change in your condition, you will be given a future check-up appointment. If we need to see you again, you will be referred to the consultant clinic. We will contact you via telephone to arrange this.

How to change your appointment time

If you can no longer attend your appointment, you can do one of the following:

How to get to the clinic

Finchley Memorial Hospital is in Granville Road, North Finchley, N12 0JE. You will find the clinic on the ground floor next to the large GP reception and waiting area. Please ask at the main reception at the hospital entrance if you have difficulty finding us.

The nearest Underground stations are Finchley Central and West Finchley (both zone 4), which are both a 20-minute walk from the hospital.

Bus routes serving the hospital are numbers 383, 112, 263, and 382.

Car parking is also available and is free for up to three hours.

Ophthalmology research

The Royal Free London ophthalmology department is involved in research to help improve current and future patient treatment. During your appointment you may be asked for your consent for your clinical data to be used for 3 research purposes. It will not affect your care if you choose not to agree to this.