COVID-19 Referrals

Bristol Eye Hospital and Salisbury Hospital have given guidence about what and when to refer during the current crisis...

Bristol Eye Hospital have also noted that referral of serious eye conditions such as retinal detachments has fallen and offers advice about conditions that still require urgent referral.  Please see the attached document.

Salisbury District Hospital Ophthalmology Department (Coronavirus Update)
3^rd April 2020.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, and following national guidance, we have stopped all routine work. The department is still running the wet Age-related Macular Degeneration Service (for new and follow-up patients) and Emergency Eye Care service (via the Acute Referral Clinic).

Emergency Eye Care:

Emergency eye problems will continue to be seen by referral only and the service will be directly supervised by a consultant. To protect both patients and staff we are trying to reduce attendances and we will try to treat as many patients as possible over the telephone without the need for them to visit the department especially with mild, non-concerning symptoms or symptoms with longer duration. Photos are a particularly useful way to help us make decisions remotely and please be ready to e-mail these directly, if possible, when you call the department.

To date we have been grateful to the Optometrists in the community who have stayed open and helped manage some of the acute patients, but understand that many practices are feeling the need to close their doors especially given difficulties in getting personal protective equipment. Any ongoing support in telephone triage and advice services is very much appreciated.

We are opening up our advice and guidance e-mail address Sft.ophthalmologyadvice@nhs.net to Optometrists for less urgent issues and welcome GP’s using this service. Please do not use this e-mail for patients that you think may need to be seen the same day. The e-mails will be reviewed by a consultant daily. It is very helpful to provide as much detail as possible and a contact number for the patient so we can call them directly if we need more information.

In order to contact the ophthalmology team about an urgent case you wish to discuss, please continue to contact the ophthalmology team on-call via switchboard (01722 336262)

Routine/non-urgent Eye Care:

If a patient has an appointment scheduled at the department, please advise them we will be in direct contact in due course. We are going through all cancelled and deferred appointments and prioritising by clinical need. We are employing different methods to help ensure safety in the service, including telephone clinics.

If there is a query about an existing outpatient, which is not an emergency please direct this to the subspecialty secretaries on 01722429353 to query with the patient’s team.

Thank you for your understanding in this difficult period.


The Ophthalmology Department

Salisbury District Hospital

Please find below a summary of the referral pathways within Wiltshire.  Further details can be found in the Practitioner Info section of this website.

Routine Referrals

Most routine referrals, not needing to be seen within six weeks, should be e-mailed to the Wiltshire CCG Referral Centre at wccg.rsseyes@nhs.net.  (Enquiries Tel : 01380 733802)

The referral should be sent from an NHS.Net account only.  A sample referral form is attached here.

Routine referrals for patients whose  G.P. is based outside Wiltshire should be sent via their G.P.

Emergency Referrals to Hospital  Eye Clinics

(Needing to be seen within six weeks)

Royal United Hospital, Bath

In working hours - Triage nurse: 01225 824403 (For advice or for patients who might need seeing within 48 hours).  

In working hours - e-mail : ruh-tr.EmergencyEyeClinic@nhs.net  (For urgent patients who might need seeing in 2-21 days.   They are read within 2 hours between 8.30 - 5pm Mon-Friday.   Please supply the patients home and mobile phone numbers).  It is no longer possible to send Fax referrals.

Out of hours evening and weekend - Call RUH switchboard: 01225 428331 (Mon-Thurs 5pm-8pm, Fri and Sat 24hrs, Sun up to 3pm).   Ask for Ophthalmology doctor on call.

Overnight and Sunday evening - Call the Bristol Eye Hospital 0117 923 0000 ONLY if the patient needs treatment before the next morning (Mon-Thurs 8pm to 8.30am, Sun 3pm-8.30 Mon am).

Great Western Hospital, Swindon

Telephone advice a casualty booking service : 01793 604868

Open   Monday to Friday 8:30 to 21:00       Saturday and Sunday 9:00 to 13:00

Bank Holidays 09:00 to 13:00  :  Please ring 604020 and ask for the On Call Eye Doctor

Salisbury District Hospital

Call  01722 33 62 62 and ask for bleep 1625 “Eye Casualty”

Emergency same day referrals to be sent by email following a phone call to the department via the above number and bleep to eye casualty sft.emergencyeyeclinic@nhs.net

Eye clinic number for general enquiries,   01722 336262  Ext. 5366  or Ext 5363

Eye clinic secretary, for enquiries about a previous patient or ongoing care   01722 429352