GP INFORMATION - East Kent

East Kent MECS

The East Kent Minor Eye Care Service (MECS) provides patients aged 5 and over experiencing certain eye conditions with appropriate treatment closer to home. The service is provided by local optometrists with the specialist knowledge and skills to carry out this work at a locally approved optical practice. Please click here for a list of participating practices. A copy of the pathway and the MECS referral form can be downloaded below.

Referral Pathway
Referral Form

Conditions covered by the service are as follows:

  • Loss of vision including transient loss – [consider differential diagnosis: TIA,
  • Temporal Arteritis] Ocular pain
  • Differential diagnosis of red eye
  • Foreign body and emergency contact lens removal (not by the fitting practitioner)
  • Dry eye
  • Epiphora (watery eye)
  • Trichiasis (in growing eyelashes)
  • Flashes/floaters
  • Systemic disease affecting the eye

Exclusions to MECS

The following conditions require the patient to attend a hospital ophthalmic department, eye casualty or A&E:

  • Severe ocular pain requiring immediate attention
  • Suspected retinal detachment
  • Retinal artery occlusion
  • Chemical injuries
  • Penetrating trauma
  • Orbital cellulitis
  • Temporal arteritis
  • Ischaemic optic neuropathy

Also, the treatment of long term conditions is not included within the service. Conditions excluded include:

  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • Long standing adult squints
  • Long standing diplopia

As a reminder, suspect Wet AMD and Cataracts should not be sent to the Single Point of Access (SPA) email address. Please refer to the pathway document for guidance.

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