Referral Pathways in Coventry and Warwickshire
Updated 13/12/2024
All Optometrists in Coventry, Rugby, North and South Warwickshire must refer ALL routine and urgent eye conditions (including cataract, medical retina and paediatric referrals) through the Electric Eyecare Referral System (EeRS)/Cinapsis. For emergencies, optometrists should continue to use Swift Queue. For Urgent Suspect Cancer, please direct these referrals to the patient’s GP.
The OCS offer patients a choice of suitable providers and transfers the referral to eRS to go to Secondary Care providers. Please check where the patient’s GP is based and refer as appropriate. At the moment the referral system is only for patients with a GP within the Coventry, Rugby & Warks ICB. If your practice is outside the ICB area but you refer patients with GP’s from the ICB area, please apply for EeRS registration.
Optometric practices will be notified of referral acceptance via Cinapsis, with a UBRN number for communication with secondary care, and can track referrals using EeRS. GP practices will be informed by email from Cinapsis and receive a copy of the referral letter for the patient record.
University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire Eye Casualty (UHCW) – Emergency
UHCW Eye Casualty accepts adult and paediatric referrals for emergency and urgent cases from Optometrists in Coventry, Rugby, North Warwickshire, and South Warwickshire area.
UHCW eye casualty is NOT A WALK IN SERVICE (please do not advise a patient to come straight down to eye casualty)
Please advise patients to book a telephone triage appointment via UHCW Eye Casualty Swift Queue or offer TRIAGE NUMBER FOR PATIENTS: 02476964800
Referral process:
When you log onto Swift Queue as a clinician, you’ll find a dedicated tab to create referrals. You can either fill out the online form—identical to the one previously circulated Word document—or upload a PDF directly.
How to register for Swift Queue:
How to refer:
This system simplifies tracking the referral status. You’ll be able to see whether the patient has been accepted, and if additional information has been requested. The system will automatically send you a notification email to let you know the details have been updated. Important: Please ensure you also book the patient for a telephone consultation.
The eye casualty line is open Monday to Friday (9:00am – 1:00pm and 1:30pm – 5:00pm) excluding bank holidays. Saturday reduced hours (9:00am-12:00pm)
TRIAGE NUMBER FOR CLINICIAN TO CLINICIAN (this is available through the practice – if you are a Locum Optometrist, please ask the store for this number). This number should NOT be given to patients and is only for health care professionals to speak to eye casualty directly regarding their patient either for advice or for their patient to be seen.
Triage tool for UHCW Eye Casualty COVID
When you call the eye casualty line, you will be spoken to by a clinician (either an Orthoptist, Optometrist, or Ophthalmologist)
For advice out of hours, please call NHS 111 or seek advice from Minor Injuries/On-call Ophthalmologist.
Fast Track Referral Pathway for WET AMD / DMO / RVO
The Urgent Medical Retina section of EeRS can be used to make urgent medical retina referrals for WET AMD, DMO and RVO. This replaces the NHS.net email pathways. Patients will be offered a choice of suitable providers e.g. UHCW, SWFT, Camphill NewMedica, CHEC, SpaMedica.
Choroidal naevi can also be referred via the urgent medical retina section on EeRS. Please refer to this guidance below when referring. The MOLES algorithm highlights the most important indicators of malignancy.
SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE UPDATE
The CHEC portal has been decommissioned and therefore for patients with a South Warwickshire GP, referrals are to be sent via the pathway above using EeRS/Cinapsis. However, CHEC post-op cataract and South Warwickshire MECS service will still use the CHEC portal.
Also, to help with cross border referrals, those patients registered with a Worcestershire GP can be referred using the CHEC portal. The link below directs you to Worcestershire’s LOC website for further information on their referral guidance.
https://www.locworcestershire.co.uk/
Referrals via GP
Optometrists should continue to contact the GP’s directly via nhs.net email or referral letter as per current set up for systemic conditions.
Urgent suspect cancer referrals should be referred to the patient’s GP within 24 hours as per current set up unless it is considered to fall within the Emergency referral as above.