Minor Eye Conditions

New Service 

CUES (Covid Urgent Eye care Service)    

A reminder that patients with minor eye conditions such as red, sore or painful eye/eyelid, new flashes or floaters, foreign body in the eye etc. should be signposted to CUES (formerly MECS) not eye casualty.  

There is a single point of access (SPOA) to the service for patients through telephone 0300 303 4922, Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.

Many of you are aware that there are currently issues with lack of optical practice capacity to see patients face-to-face within the city – this is being addressed and should be resolved shortly – we’ll let you know. In the meantime, many patients can be safely assessed and managed via telephone and video consultation. The service will refer any emergencies to Eye Casualty if appropriate.

Minor Eye Conditions Service (must be registered with a GP in Southampton) - No cost to patient

Do you have a Red or Sore eye? Something is wrong with your eyes but it is not your glasses that are at fault. Not sure who you should see about it?

This new service means that you don't need to book an appointment with your GP to get this checked, you can see an optician locally at a time more suited to you.

Conditions that your optician can help with:

• Loss of vision including transient loss
• Sudden onset of blurred vision
• Ocular pain or discomfort
• Systemic disease affecting the eye
• Differential diagnosis of the red eye
• Foreign body and emergency contact lens removal (not by the fitting practitioner)
• Dry eye/gritty/itchy (not cellulitis)
• Epiphora (watery eye)
• Trichiasis (in growing eyelashes)
• Differential diagnosis of lumps and bumps in the vicinity of the eye
• Possible diplopia
• Flashes/floaters
• Retinal lesions
• Patient reported field defects

Conditions excluded from the service include:

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Adult squints
• Possible recent onset diplopia – within 3 months
• Repeat field tests to aid diagnosis following an NHS sight test.

Please see below for participating Opticians in Southampton:

Opticians in the Southampton area offering MECS: