CUES: A New Front Door for Urgent Eye Care in England

23 July 2025

With over 330,000 patients seen this year alone in urgent services, the service has demonstrated its capacity to deliver rapid, high-quality care with 99.8% of patients receiving care within 24 hours, underscoring its responsiveness and efficiency.

Transforming Access and Reducing Pressure

CUES is not just a service; it’s a strategic shift. By enabling patients to receive urgent eye care directed from trained optometry professionals in community settings, CUES is helping to alleviate pressure on traditional NHS pathways. According to modelling by PA Consulting, the national rollout of CUES has the potential to reduce 200,000 hospital eye service appointments, 240,000 A&E attendees and GP consultations by 425,000 annually. This translates to an indicative net benefit of £30.07 million per year for the NHS.

A Model for NHS Reform

CUES is a tangible example of the NHS’s strategic priorities in action. It aligns directly with the NHS 10 year plan’s goals to shift care from hospitals to community settings, embrace digital transformation and move from reactive to proactive care. As highlighted in the NHS Confederation’s publication New Front Door: Reimagining Primary Care for the Next Decade, services like CUES are central to building a more sustainable, accessible and patient-centred NHS.

Professional Development

Recent webinars and CPD events have equipped practitioners with updated guidance on CUES pathways, referral protocols and digital tools, reinforming the service’s commitment to clinical excellence and continuous improvement.

Looking Ahead

As Primary Eyecare Services continues to champion enhanced eye are in primary settings, CUES stands as a beacon of what’s possible when innovation, collaboration and strategic vision converge. It’s not just about treating eye conditions, it’s about reimagining how urgent care is delivered, and ensuring that every patient receives timely, effective support close to home.

Resources

See here for the Primary Eyecare Services CUES Case Study

See here for the PA Consulting Analysis