Emergency eye problems - urgent local services

[PMRpro]

primaryeyecare.co.uk/servic...

While looking stuff up for a post about eye problems to day I found this urgent care service for eye problems.

"What is the Urgent Eyecare Service?

The Urgent Eyecare Service (UES) provides urgent assessment, treatment or referral for sudden onset eye problems such as flashes, floaters, vision loss or minor eye injuries."

There is a location finder on the website - all you need is your postcode. Unfortunately it seems to be a service only available in England and Wales.

primaryeyecare.co.uk/find-a...

There is a parallel service in Scotland:

gov.scot/news/emergency-eye....

rnib.org.uk/scotland/scotla...

" High street opticians can be contacted by phone during normal working hours (9am to 5.30pm). Outside these hours, people should phone NHS 111"

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Another one for FAQs methinks - MrsNails please

[MrsNails in reply to DorsetLady]

Will do with a cross referral to MECS & Urgent

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to MrsNails]

👍

[Exflex]

Thank you - I’ve saved the post just in case.Having looked at the link they are all Opticians. I wonder if they would be able to diagnose something as serious as GCA, and what if they do. I doubt they would be allowed to prescribe restricted drugs such as Pred. Could be wrong (and surprised).

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Exflex]

“ I wonder if they would be able to diagnose something as serious as GCA,…”

Maybe not, but at least they could rule out other issues and start the process if they have concerns about GCA.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Exflex]

“ I wonder if they would be able to diagnose something as serious as GCA,…”

Mine in Scotland certainly could and did - and in many ways they are more likely to do so than the junior doctors in A&E. Not to mention the optometrist offering such a service has equally as good equipment for diagnostic purposes as the eye department in most hospitals. The purpose of the UES is to provide 7 day access to diagnosis - they then refer on in exactly the same way as A&E would do. Opthalmology is like Rheumatology - a Mon-Fri clinic service and although there is likely to be someone on the end of a phone to A&E requests for emergency advice, there isn't anyone on site to do the fancy stuff. A&E is fine for scratched cornea diagnosis but not ideal for GCA because the possibility must be recognised and they don't always do so. Plus even a hospital may refer on - my daughter recently dealt with a potential GCA patient and was able to order basic tests under the protocol set up to fast track such patients - but then had to arrange to send them to York as Scabs didn't have the equipment or expertise for more detailed examination.

[Greytree]

I am in the US in Nashville, Tennessee, and I had a really large floater settle in on Friday. A few hours later, something like falling stars began intermittently in the same eye, the left eye. Before my doctors office closed for the weekend and before the pinpoint lights began dropping, they had referred me to the Vanderbilt Eye institute. I called at 9 PM after it had closed, but they have 24 hour emergency service. A nice female doctor told me to come in and wait outside in my car. She saw me after she finished a couple of other patients. She did several tests and then her boss came in and did more tests. They were very thorough on a late night call that was then after 11 PM. They assured me (after I told them I had PMR/GCA) that it was likely the result of an age/related detaching retina, but that it wasn’t torn. The upshot was a follow up that will be set for this coming week. The point of all this is for folks in the US to know there is capable 24 hour help available in at least some towns. Talk to your doctor Before an emergency off-hours occurs so you’ll know who to call.

[Carrollee]

Hi. Locally it’s called MECS and available at spec savers. I used it Sunday afternoon two weeks ago and they emailed the eye hospital who saw me the next day. Am now under the eye hospital for a corneal ulcer caused by shingles. It’s a reassuring service and you just turn up or ring and they will speak to you that day. 🤗

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Carrollee]

MECS and UES are two separte parts of the service but offered by the same provider

[Carrollee in reply to PMRpro]

Interesting, thanks 😊

[LemonZest11]

You're such an asset to this site, you never stop. Big thanks.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to LemonZest11]

Keeps me out of other mischief

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

🤔

[LemonZest11 in reply to DorsetLady]

You too DorsetLady!