Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES)
The CUES service is for patients presenting with acute eye problems, including but not limited to: Red/sore/itchy/painful eyes, flashes and/or floaters in the vision, sudden onset visual disruption/distortion and suspect foreign bodies.
Entry into the service is by telephone call, this is NOT a walk in service. The patient should telephone an optical practice for triage, and following this, is given either a telemedicine or face to face appointment within 24 hours. Where an optical practice cannot accommodate a patient, the optical practice will find the patient an appointment at another optical practice within the area. Where a patient requires referral to ophthalmology for urgent/routine treatment, the optometrist does this directly, and the GP practice receives an outcome notification.
Cataract Services (Pre Cat and Post cat)
The aim of the Pre Cat Service is to utilise the skills of primary care optometrists to confirm the presence of cataract, counsel you with respect to surgery, and with the use of shared decision making, refer the patient to their provider of choice where required.
- The Post Cat service allows a patient with uncomplicated cataract surgery to be discharged to an optical practice for their post operative
assessment rather than have another appointment in the hospital eye service. This appointment is carried out 4 weeks after their
cataract surgery and includes their final post-op examination and refraction (GOS where eligible).
Glaucoma Repeat Readings (GRR)
By repeating pressure checks with contact tonometry or visual field assessments where necessary, the GRR service reduces false positive referrals to the hospital eye service, reducing patient anxiety and increasing capacity within hospital glaucoma clinics.
Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Service (GERS)
Where patients have multiple suspicious clinical signs and/or risk factors of glaucoma, a primary care optometrist with a professional certificate in glaucoma will refine glaucoma suspect/ocular hypertension referrals by carrying out further extensive examinations.
People with Learning Difficulties / Easy Eyecare Pathway (PWLD)
Patients with learning difficulties and autism may require longer time or more specialised examination. Optometrists with further LD training carry out an eye examination to suit patient requirements. A list of participating practices is found on the link below.
