Ophthalmology

North West London Community Eye Care Service: Information for GPs

These documents provide essential information on the new Optometry-led Community Eye Care Service now available across North West London. Commissioned by NHS North West London and delivered by Primary Eyecare Services (PES), the service offers fast, local, NHS-funded care for patients aged 18+ with recent-onset minor or urgent eye problems.

What’s included:

  • Community Eye Service (CES) – symptom-based care for conditions like red or sore eyes, flashes/floaters, visual disturbances, and lid lesions.​​​​​​
  • Pre-cataract referral assessment – to ensure appropriate and timely surgical referrals
  • Glaucoma referral filtering – to reduce unnecessary hospital referrals.

How GPs can use the documents:

  • use the quick reference flyer to identify which eye conditions are suitable for community management and when to refer elsewhere
  • use the detailed GP information sheet to understand inclusion/exclusion criteria and pathways for CES, pre-cataract and glaucoma filtering services
  • signpost eligible patients to a local accredited optometry practice (not a walk-in service) using the PES practice finder: primaryeyecare.co.uk/find-a-practice.

This service supports timely access to care, reduces pressure on hospital eye services, and improves patient experience.

Last updated: July 2025

North West London Eye Pathways

The Acute Red Eye Pathway and the Chronic Irritable Eye Pathway have been developed to support general practitioners in North West London with the assessment, diagnosis, and management of common eye presentations in primary care.

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