Optometry Referral Pathway update 18 December 2023

NHS North East London has introduced an alternative NHS referral pathway, for patients registered with GP practices in City and Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

This will mean you should no longer refer to the GP for onward referral or directly to Ophthalmology specialist services.

Note: Optometrists with patients registered Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge will continue to refer to the current single point of access for those areas provided by Evolutio.

This new pathway will allow referrals to be sent directly, via email, to a new Single Point of Access (SPoA), hosted by Moorfields Eye hospital on behalf of all local ophthalmology services including independent providers. These include:

• Barts Health:
  • Whipps Cross Hospital
  • Royal London Hospital
  • Newham Hospital
• BHRUT:
  • Queens Hospital
  • King George Hospital
• Moorfields Eye Hospital – City Road and their community sites at Hoxton, St Ann’s Hospital, Stratford, Barking Hospital.
• Other out of area NHS providers eg Hospitals across London or further and the independents where appropriate.

The Single Point of Access email is: nelondonicb.eyerefer@nhs.net

This is for referrals only and if you have a query please use the email nelondonicb.eyeadmin@nhs.net

Please refer to the electronic referral pathways documents for further details on how to refer and there is also guidance on how to offer patients informed choice and make sure they receive the appropriate care.

The new pathway is designed to:

• Improve the efficiency of referral processing; 
• Reduce patient journey time from point of referral to ophthalmology appointment;
• Facilitate the launch of an advice and guidance service;
• Facilitate the provision of continuing professional development-approved education to community optometrists;
• Embed processes to provide you with updates about your patients, including referral feedback.

How will it work? 

The new Single Point of Access will: 

1. check and confirm receipt of your referral, including any supporting documentation (N.B. you will have the option to attach images or other supporting documents, although you’re not obliged to as part of a GOS18 referral).
2. upload this information onto the electronic referral system (eRS) (as currently performed by the GP), for onward referral to local ophthalmology services.

You may like to view Peter Thomas (Moorfields Lead) on YouTube explaining the service to your colleagues in North Central London (NCL), as the service will operate very similarly at 

Please refer to the electronic referral pathways documents for further details on how to refer

How do I ensure the referral information complies with information governance requirements and remains secure and safe?

Please send your referrals from your nhs.net email account in order to get feedback for your referral as we cannot send patient information back to a non NHS.net account.

Note if you have an nhs.net email account which has been deactivated you can reactivate your account by getting in touch with helpdesk@nhs.net . It will be good to check that as soon as possible to be ready for the new pathway

I don’t have an nhs.net mail account: What is the process for setting one up? 

For optometrists working at independent practices + small groups comprising less than 10 practices: Please use the NHS England sign-up portal at: https://support.nhs.net/knowledge-base/registering-optometrists/

Downloads

• Referral pathway guidance for Optometrists
• Evidence based intervention policy
• Waltham Forest community glaucoma service
• Choice guide for Optometrist referrals

We will provide further details for optometrists working at multiples + larger groups comprising of more than 10 practices in due course.

 Any questions? Please contact nelondonicb.eyeadmin@nhs.net . Please note that this is for administrative queries only – please do not use the inbox for referrals.