Minor Eye Conditions Service
Service
Locality: Mid Hampshire, South West
Type of Care: Community
Community Urgent Eye Service (MECS+)
Locality: Mid Hampshire, South West
Type of Care: Community
The aim of the Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) is to ensure people can access urgent eyecare within primary care during the coronavirus pandemic. Presenting symptoms will typically include a red or painful eye, foreign body, sudden change in vision, or flashes and floaters which might suggest retinal detachment.
Access to the service is restricted to telephone booking only to:
• Identify people with Covid-19 symptoms, at risk /self-isolating people to signpost to appropriate services
• Offer telephone/ video consultation and self-care advice or provide signed orders remotely, where appropriate
• Offer face to face appointments with optometrist following telephone/video consultations for those who are presenting with urgent and higher risk symptoms (observing PPE guidance and social distancing advice)
• Signpost to emergency services, as appropriate.
Patients can either contact a participating local optical practice via https://primaryeyecare.co.uk/find-a-practice/ Please insert the patient postcode and double click find locations and the map will refresh OR the service directly on 0300 303 4922 from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.
More information in the letter.
The first optical practice contacted will triage and direct a patient to the most appropriate clinician for their condition if a face to face appointment is required. Please note the Optometrist will not generally give the patient a prescription for over the counter medicines i.e. for dry eyes/conjunctivitis.
CUES pathway:
Conditions that can be seen under the service include:
- Red eye or eyelids
- Dry eye, or gritty and uncomfortable eyes
- Irritation and inflammation of the eye
- Significant recent sticky discharge from the eye or watery eye
- Recently occurring flashes or floaters
- In-growing eyelashes
- Foreign body in the eye
If you have any further questions please contact helen.sherred@nhs.net
