Quality Standards for Ophthalmic A&E/Urgent Care Service

There is increasing demand for all urgent and emergency care in the UK, including ophthalmic care. Patients requiring ophthalmic urgent and emergency care are common, and the incidence of new eye casualty attendances has been estimated at 20-30 per 1000 population per year and eye emergencies are thought to make up 1.46-6% of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances. The standards in this document apply to urgent and emergency secondary ophthalmic care, and how that links up to community and primary care, to ensure safe care and adherence to national guidelines.