CUES:

EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS

CUES (Community Urgent Eyecare Service)

If you have a concern with your eyes, but are not yet due for a routine eye examination, a more focused appointment may be required. CUES appointments are fully funded by the NHS for anyone registered with a GP surgery locally. If your GP surgery is not within a CUES eligible area, you will not be available for NHS funding, however we can see you privately for this appointment.

If you have any concerns about your vision please call us immediately and we will help work out what kind of appointment is most suitable for you. It is best to contact us via phone instead of using our online booking form, to allow us to triage your problem and determine how urgently you need to be seen.

Examples

• New flashing lights in your vision or new floaters.
• Red, uncomfortable eyes
• Sudden vision changes/loss of vision
  
• Foreign body in the eye

During these appointments we may need to use drops or dyes to help work out the cause of the problem you are experiencing. Examination methods will vary depending on symptoms, please ask if you have any questions.

CORNEAL FOREIGN BODY REMOVAL

We are able to handle ocular foreign body removal under CUES appointments. This allows patients to attend for an emergency eye appointment without having sit for hours in A&E

Our optometrist, Dan, has experience removing corneal foreign bodies, and has undertaken WOPEC certification and university training in ocular foreign body removal.

Generally corneal foreign bodies are gently removed with a needle, but occasionally can be removed with foam PVA spears.

At these appointments we use topical anaesthetics which means you should not feel any discomfort during the procedure.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THESE APPOINTMENTS?

CUES is different for every patient and this will depend on what is wrong with your eyes.

Common tests conducted include:

• Measurement of visual acuity
• Slit lamp examination of the eye (anterior or posterior)
• Intraocular pressure reading
• Vital dye instillation
• Foreign body removal 
• OCT eye examination

If you need to have your pupils dilated for the assessment, we will tell you at the time of booking. If this is the case you should not drive to the appointment, and will not be able to drive again until 6 hours after the appointment.

If it is determined that your eye condition needs management with medication, or by a consultant, you may be referred on to another practice, or to the hospital.