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| Referral Pathways for Morecambe Bay Patients |
| July 2025 |
| Dear Practices and Practitioners, Please see below for some changes (and a reminder) regarding referrals for Morecambe Bay patients and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay (UHMB) post op cataract patients. Post Op Cataract Patients: Please remember to select the outcome “list for 2nd eye surgery” for all post-op cataract patients, who have had 1st eye surgery at UHMB, and who wish to proceed with 2nd eye surgery following from their post-op assessment. You will then need to click the red tab and refer the patient to UHMB ROUTINE 2ND EYE REFERRALS FROM POST OP ON OPERA ONLY. Please ensure you no longer select “already listed for 2nd eye surgery” as the outcome or the listing may not get picked up and the patient may not get called for their second eye surgery. Wet AMD Patients: Patients with a suspected sub-macular haemorrhage may require vitreo-retinal intervention for the haemorrhage to be aspirated within a week. Patients with a suspected sub-macular haemorrhage should be referred to the emergency eye clinic at Barrow-in-Furness or Lancaster by selecting UHMB (RLI AND FGH) EMERGENCY REFERRALS from the referral module. They will be assessed and, if aspiration of the haemorrhage is required, listed directly at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (LTHTR) Chorley site. Please continue to refer all other wet AMD patients via the normal route by selecting UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MORECAMBE BAY – URGENT – WET AMD. Vitreo-retinal referral: There is no vitreo-retinal service in place at UHMB. The process has previously been for all VR patients to be seen at UHMB and referred on to LTHTR if surgery is warranted, however this does cause delay in the patients accessing the VR team at LTHTR. We are working with LTHTR to set up a robust process for patients to be referred directly to LTHTR and will provide guidance in due course. In the meantime, LTHTR does show as an end point to refer to in Opera already as CHORLEY AND SOUTH RIBBLE HOSPITAL – LTHNFT – VITREORETINAL for patients with a Morecambe Bay GP. If you feel the patient requires VR intervention e.g. with a macular hole, then please do select this endpoint. The end point type is a “Request” / directly bookable endpoint. This means that the patient will receive a letter in the post with instructions on how to book their appointment at LTHTR. Only once the patient has done this will the referral pass through to LTHTR so please ensure you instruct the patient accordingly. A copy of this letter will show on the patient record in Opera – once the referral has confirmed as having sent, please open the patient record and select “ERS_LETTER” at the top left. A copy can be downloaded and printed and given to the patient if you wish by selecting “Download documents” at the top left and clicking “ERS_LETTER”. If you have any questions, please contact hello@referral.support Thank you for your cooperation. Timothy Bagot & Edward Ovenden Clinical Leads Primary Eyecare Services |
