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A new COVID – 19 Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) is now providing urgent care and treatment to patients registered with a GP practice in North East Lincolnshire.

People will be able to access urgent eyecare from trained professionals within optical practices that will reduce the demand on primary care and hospital eye services during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Treatment will be available for symptoms such as a red or painful eye, foreign body in the eye, a sudden change in vision, or flashes and floaters which might suggest retinal detachment.

Access to the service is restricted to telephone booking only and the patient will be offered a telephone/video consultation and self-care advice, and then directed to the most appropriate clinician or service for their condition.

Face to face appointments with an optometrist will be offered following consultation for those who have urgent and higher risk symptoms, and this will be conducted observing PPE guidance and social distancing advice.

This service is commissioned by North East Lincolnshire CCG and is provided by local optical practices via the optometry federation, Primary Eyecare Services Ltd (PES) with the support of the North and North East Lincolnshire Local Optical Committee.

Ekta Elston, GP and Medical Director for NELCCG, explained, “Our eyes are vital to us and extremely sensitive, so it’s important that any problems affecting them are diagnosed and treated quickly, and we are therefore really pleased to be able to offer people this new eyecare service to make sure that all our patients can access eye care from local professionals when they need it.”

John Maddock, local optometrist and secretary of the North and North East Lincolnshire Local Optical Committee said, "Commissioning CUES was a positive move by the CCG which has allowed easy access to expert eyecare without patients having to attend hospital. Bearing in mind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that patients can get this care in their community.

Additionally, by making the best use of technology, we have been able to give approximately 50% of patients access to expert care via telemedicine ensuring a safe treatment plan without having to leave home for unnecessary face to face contact, therefore reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission.  We look forward to working with the CCG and Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, to continue to develop this pathway over the coming months and thus ensure we can help to reduce avoidable sight loss"

People can contact a participating local practice directly, the list of accredited optical practices currently providing the service is available at www.primaryeyecare.co.uk using the ‘Find a practice’ tool.