New pathways help patients receive eye care closer to home

More people are being seen by optometrists closer to home thanks to new pathways which are helping to streamline eye care.

Patients with certain eye conditions can be monitored by optometrists in local opticians instead of going to hospital appointments.

The new pathway allows optometrists with higher qualifications to manage patients with glaucoma and macular degeneration, who aren’t receiving active treatment in hospital.

Previously, these patients would have had to be seen by hospital-based optometrists.

It also means community-based optometrists can refer to the qualified optometrists in local opticians, to determine if they need treatment or if they need to be monitored – rather than referring them to hospital.

Sam Page, Swansea Bay’s Head of Primary Care, said: “The new pathway is helping patients to be seen by the right person at the most appropriate and convenient location.

“Previously, patients were referred to hospital but may not have required treatment.

“The community-based optometrists can filter through those patients and identify those who don’t need to be treated and can be monitored in their practice.

“It means the hospital-based optometrists can concentrate on seeing the patients that need treatment and allowing them to be seen as quickly as possible to help prevent irreversible sight loss.”

Macular degeneration affects the middle part of the vision and can cause blurred or no vision in the central area.

Glaucoma is a common condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged and can cause vision loss and blindness.

Mohammed Islam, optometric advisor for the health board, said: “Sometimes the condition can appear stable and the patient just needs to be monitored.

“During that monitoring phase, if the patient’s condition becomes more active then they will be referred to the hospital.

“So patients will only be seen in hospital when treatment or further investigations are required.”

Community-based optometrists can now also refer patients with stroke symptoms directly to hospital specialists.

Previously, if a patient displayed stroke related symptoms, optometrists would have to refer them to their GP practice or the Emergency Department.

A new stroke pathway now allows optometrists to refer patients directly to the stroke team at Morriston Hospital instead, helping to reduce the time they have to wait.

Sam added: “Patients can be referred directly onto the stroke pathway if they display symptoms such as slurred speech or sudden loss of vision, among other things.

“Previously they would have had to have been referred to the stroke department by their GP or by going to the Emergency Department.

“It has helped to make the pathway more direct for patients.”