Stockport Minor Eye Conditions Service (CUES)

NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group is working with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust (SNHSFT) to improve Eye Care services across Primary and Secondary care.

Visit the website at http://www.stockportmecs.co.uk/

The purpose of establishing a Minor Eye Conditions’ (MEC) Service is to allow the assessment and management of recent onset minor eye conditions within the Primary Care setting.

• Loss of vision including transient loss
• Ocular pain
• Differential diagnosis of  red eye
• Foreign body and emergency contact lens removal (not by the fitting practitioner)
• Dry eye
• Blepharitis
• Epiphora
• Trichiasis
• Differential diagnosis of lumps and bumps in the vicinity of the eye
• Flashes/floaters
• Patient reported field defects

The following cases will not be treated by the service:

• Patients identified to have severe eye conditions which need hospital attention e.g. orbital cellulitis, temporal arteritis
• Eye problems related to herpes zoster
• Adult squints, long standing diplopia
• Removal of suture
• Patient’s reported symptoms indicate that a sight test is more appropriate than this service
• Repeat field tests to aid diagnosis following an eye examination
• Suspected cancers of the eye
• Age related macular degeneration

Patients cannot be treated by the MEC service if their signs or symptoms indicate they are more suitable for the following locally enhanced services:

• Direct referral for cataract and post-operative cataract care
• Intra-ocular pressure service
• Diabetic retinopathy

Referrals to the service can come from the following sources:

• Self-referral
• Signposting to the service via Mastercall, A & E and SNHSFT Eye casualty telephone triage
• Signposting to patients to the service via General Practice, optometrists, pharmacists and other health or social care professionals
• A clinician may refer a patient to themselves if the symptoms meet the criteria and they believe this will avoid the necessity for referral

The service will not generally be a walk-in service; patients will need to telephone the MEC Service provider(s) to book an appointment with a MEC Service accredited clinician. However providers will be permitted to offer an immediate appointment if this is available.

Health professionals signposting patients to the service will be expected to provide patients with written details of the provider(s) so that the patient can make an appointment.  Where necessary, health professionals can make an appointment on their patient’s behalf.