2024 Coastal West Sussex Referral Guide

18 March 2024

18/03/2024 – The Ophthalmology What to do and When document has been updated with new email addresses and can be found here.

Coastal West Sussex CCG (CWS CCG), Western Sussex Hospitals Trust (WSHFT) and the West Sussex Local Optical Committee (LOC) have been working together to update the Ophthalmology What to do When referral guidelines document. The guidance is for optometrists and GPs and includes guidance for children and adult referrals.

There are several older documents in circulation locally. This revised document, dated March 2024 will replace all older versions and can be found on the following websites:

· Coastal West Sussex CCG website: https://www.coastalwestsussexccg.nhs.uk/ophthalmology

· West Sussex LOC website: http://www.westsussexloc.org.uk

A working group consisting of local consultants, optometrists and commissioners have created this guidance to

• Remind referrers that our local hospital eye services do not provide a walk in service.
• Assist referrers to ensure referrals are made in the right way and to the right priority:
• Emergency patients – Referrers to call and email the referral to the hospital; the patient to be given a same day appointment.

• Urgent patients – Referrers to call and email the referral to the hospital; the patient to be given an appointment within 1 to 2 weeks.
• Routine patients – Referrers to follow the standard CCG referral pathways. (This may include a GOS18 to the patients GP practice or a referral through Optomanager.)