Professional Matters Optometry & Dispensing
A policy review from the College on MECS & CUES
The safety and effectiveness of urgent/emergency eye care services in primary care across England
A policy review from the College
The demand for eye care in England has risen sharply, outpacing the capacity of hospital eye services (HES) and leading to delays in treatment 1, 2. Ophthalmology now accounts for nearly 9% of all NHS outpatient appointments3, and acute eye problems are increasingly burdening emergency departments, with 1-6% of all A&E attendances being ocular emergencies4. Historically, patients with eye symptoms turn first to GPs, yet most GPs lack specialist ophthalmic training and equipment5. Up to 70% of eye-related A&E cases could be managed in primary care by specially trained GPs or optometrists6, 7, indicating a significant opportunity to shift care closer to home.
Patient outcomes are excellent, and satisfaction is very high, as patients receive immediate specialist attention rather than waiting for GP or hospital appointments. Crucially, these schemes operate within optometrists’ core competencies – additional qualifications beyond standard optometry training are not required for delivering urgent eye care safely10, 11.
