GWH department and clinic general info
Urgent referrals
OPHTHALMOLOGY EYE CASUALTY SERVICE.
The ophthalmology department at the Great Western Hospital has a telephone advice and casualty booking line available to GPs and Optometrists that have a patient with an eye problem that they are unsure about.
The line is staffed with experienced nurses with access to the On Call Doctor, who can give advice and will triage patients that need to be seen urgently in the department.
You can now also email gwh.eyes.urgentrefs@nhs.net with any urgent referral where it will be looked at that day and triaged by the on call nurses and doctors.
The number is:
01793 604868
And is manned from:
Monday to Friday 08:30 to 21:00
Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 13:00
Please note:
Bank Holidays 09:00 to 13:00
(Please ring 604020 and ask for the On Call Eye Doctor
Fast track wet AMD referral pathway
This pathway was introduced at a meeting on Jan 14th 2009 at Great Western Hospital and is for patients with recent onset of wet AMD to enable rapid assessment of patient suitability for treatment. This referral route is only appropriate for patients that meet the following referral guidelines:-
Presenting symptoms in the affected eye – there must be a recent (usually less than 3 month) history of at least one of the following:
- visual loss
- spontaneously reported distortion
- onset missing patch / blurring in central vision
NB Corrected VA must be 6/96 or better in the affected eye
PLEASE DO NOT REFER PATIENTS WHO FIT THE ABOVE CRITERIA IN THE USUAL ROUTE WITH A GOS 18 / STANDARD REFERRAL LETTER VIA THEIR GP. THEY MUST BE SEEN PROMPTLY TO ASSESS SUITABILITY FOR TREATMENT.
NOTE: GWH now prefer to take all wet AMD referrals via email to their generic urgent referrals email address gwh.eyes.urgentrefs@nhs.net where it will be assessed and tiraged appropriately. If available, please include OCT scans accompanying the rapid access form.
If you beleive the case may be more urgent or have questions about the referral, please phone the on duty triage nurse on 01793 604868.
Please do not refer dry AMD, patients whose VA has already dropped to below 6/96 or patients whose symptoms are not of recent onset via this route. These patients may be suitable for referral to the LVA clinic, or for visual impairment registration if appropriate
Consultants and areas of special interest
Mr El-Ashry – Medical & Surgical Retina
Mr Imran Zaheer – Glaucoma lead and head of Opthalmology
Guy Smith – Anterior Segment
Miss Chak – Oculo Plastics
Mr Allah Abumattar – Medical retina
Mr Nimsh Shah – Medical retina & cataract
Jennifer McMahon – Head of Optometry
Other contact details
Orthoptists – 01793 604847
Tim Vines – Charge Nurse – 01793 604868
Sara Brazell – Day Case Sister – 01793 604864
Nursing Staff – Queries – 01793 604868
Department opening hours
Normal hours Mon – Fri 8am-5pm
Eye Doctor On-call: Mon- Fri 5pm-9pm and Sat/Sun/Bank Holidays 9am-1pm
Other hours contact A&E (01793 604106)