Service Information
Referral and Entry Points
- Signposting to the service can be done by the NHS111 service, pharmacies, A&E, Urgent Eyecare Centres and GP surgeries (by care navigators, nurse and GPs)
- 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
- The patient should be directed to their own optical practice first, or where their usual practice does not deliver the service, they can be directed to www.primaryeyecare.co.uk and the ‘Find a Practice Tool’
- Entry into the service is by the telephone call, this is NOT a walk in service. The patient should telephone an optical practice for triage, and following eligibility approval, the patient 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
Consultation Outcomes
- Following assessment, the patient may be managed by the practitioner and discharged or put on a treatment plan with arranged follow up or referred to their GP or to secondary care
- Where a patient requires referral to ophthalmology for urgent/routine treatment, the practitioner does this directly and the GP practice receives an outcome notification
- GP surgeries receive a notification of outcome for every CUES episode via their DOCMAN system. GP action is only required where the outcome of CUES has been “referral to GP”. Onwards referrals to the Hospital Eye Service are completed by the practitioner via eERS
- Where a medicine is required, this patient will be directed to how to obtain this by the practitioner, this varies on commissioning agreements and could be via a commissioned pharmacy service, direct supply from practice, or written other (NHS or private)
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion:
All ages
Acute symptoms
Red eye
Sore/painful/itchy eye
Suspect foreign body
Flashes/floaters
Sudden onset visual changes/distorted vision
Exclusion:
Chronic/long standing symptoms
Symptoms indicative of stroke/TIA (follow stroke pathway)
Headaches without visual symptoms
Contact lens complications (patients should be directed to the optician that provides their contact lenses – where this is not possible the patient can utilise CUES)
