Acute Community Eyecare Service (ACES) provision
We are delighted to now be able to offer emergency eyecare funded by the NHS. Karen has been accredited to provide this service for some time and has been providing it privately since we have opened but we are pleased that we have now been given permission to do this as part of the local ACES scheme.
The scheme is available to people with a GP registered in Somerset and has been extended to cover many of those registered in Devon
What eye problems we can see
The service is designed for recently occurring medical eye conditions such as:
- Sudden or recent reduction in vision in one or both eyes
- Red eye(s) or eye lids (for patients presenting with this condition the pharmacist can refer to either an optometrist or the patient’s GP if they believe this to be appropriate
- Pain and/or discomfort in the eyes, around the eye area or temples
- Recent onset or sudden increase of flashes and/or floaters in one eye or both eyes
- Mild trauma, for example a scratch to the outer surface of the eye(s) or lid(s)
- Suspected foreign body in the eye
- Recent onset of double vision
- Significant recent discharge from or watering of the eye.
Some eye conditions would not be treated under ACES, and the patient should be directed to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department include:
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Considerable eye pain
- Significant trauma, such as a penetrating injury or lacerations to the eye(s) or lid(s)
- Chemical injury or burns
- Problems arising from recent eye surgery.
In addition, if a patient has an eye condition that is being monitored regularly by the optometrist or hospital eye service, such as cataracts, glaucoma or dry eye, this will not be covered by ACES.