Worcestershire LOC
Worcestershire Referral Guidelines
This guide is primarily aimed at optometrists working as contractors or performers in the Worcestershire area of Herefordshire & Worcestershire CCG who are referring patients who are registered with a GP practice in Worcestershire area of Herefordshire & Worcestershire CCG*. Where a patient is not registered with a Worcestershire GP*, please direct the referral to the patient’s GP practice.
Please note that for “out of hours” urgent referrals patients will be directed to BMEC.
The text has been extensively revised and updated, to improve clarity and understanding, particularly in response to the changing referral criteria and referral methods introduced by the National Health Service, following the decision by the Secretary of State for Health to switch off all fax communication with NHS institutions from 1st April 2020. The proliferation of the COVID-19 disease has resulted in a temporary suspension of the MECS service and the introduction of the COVID-19 Urgent Eye-care Service – CUES. Those conditions that would normally be referred to MECS but require referral to CUES have been annotated.
Electronic Eye Care Referral System (EeRS)
Optical practices have long championed the introduction of electronic referrals, discharge, care and data transfer between primary eye care, the hospital eye service and GPs. The new EeRS ‘proof of concept’ sites are a first step towards supporting patients being treated in the right place, by the right service, at the right time at all points along the eye care pathway.
The system will link primary eye care with the hospital ophthalmology and GP systems allowing unnecessary referrals to hospitals to be avoided and better us to be made of the skills, equipment and facilities in optical practices.
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Worcestershire LOC will be in contact with more information to the county, throughout the roll-our of EeRS, via email, website updates and CPD events for practitioners!