Upcoming changes to the ophthalmology Pathway. (Go live date of May 2024)
Been to see your Optician? Need to be referred to Ophthalmology? No need to contact us.
The changes will introduce a consistent system wide electronic process to support local eye care services. Optometrists will be able to refer patients to secondary care for further investigation or treatment, versus referrals being sent to GP practices to process. Once registered, Opticians will be able to send their referrals via an Electronic eyecare Referral System(EeRS) through to a single point of access.
It is expected that these changes will provide significant benefits to both patients and optometrists, such as:
• Faster and more convenient referrals, with no need for email, post, or fax in future
• The ability to attach documents and images (including eye scans) to the referral
• Single point of access for Optometrists to send referrals with patient choice offered
• Reduced burden on GP practice staff who currently process referrals from optometrists
• Improved communication and feedback between primary and secondary care, with access to a patients’ referral status and outcomes
• Enhanced patient safety and quality of care, with reduced risk of referral errors or delays.
