AUDIT OF ELDERLY PEOPLES EYE PROBLEMS AND NON-ATTENDANCE AT HOSPITAL EYE SERVICE

Because eye disease is common in elderly people' and the number of people aged greater-than-or-equal-to 80 in Britain is increasing, 2 outpatient referrals to the hospital eye service will probably rise. Many studies have discussed the reasons why people do not keep their outpatient appointments and ways in which non-attendance could be reduced. Few have given details of the morbidity that arises in patients who have not kept appointments.3 Could general practitioners have an important influence on non-attendance?