GP INFORMATION - North Kent

The North Kent Community Ophthalmology Service provides patients experiencing certain eye conditions with appropriate treatment closer to home. The service for new patients is now run by PEKM and its ophthalmology partner, Clinical Eye Services Ltd (CES). We have an excellent team of fully qualified and experienced ophthalmologists, optometrists and other specialist staff who are able to provide your patients with the best possible eye care.

Please note that appointments may be face-to-face, virtual or a diagnostic appointment, based on a patient’s eye condition and clinical risk.

You can sign post your patients to the MECS element of the service or refer into the Single Point of Access where your patient will be triaged to the most appropriate service. This can be found on e-RS as North Kent Community Ophthalmology Service – PEKM – Y1J4I. North Kent MECS providers can be found via our Practice Locator tab.

For patients already being seen in the service, Operose and PEKM will work together to make sure there is a smooth patient transfer of both new and follow up patients between Monday, 1 May and Friday, 30 June when Operose will finish as a provider of this service.

 

 

MECS patients can also self-refer into the service. The post-op cataract service is for patients registered with a North Kent GP who had cataract surgery at Maidstone Hospital or Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre, Gillingham.

Conditions covered by MECS 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
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