Emergencies

If you have an ocular emergency e.g. significant ocular trauma, very red painful eye, should you see a G.P., Optician or go straight to A & E?

During office working hours we recommend that you see either ourselves or, if you can get in quick enough, to see a G.P. We have access to a direct referral system with the Eye Casualty department at Ward 6 at Burnley General hospital. This means an appointment can be mutually arranged with the department over the phone. This may save a four hour wait in A & E, only for them to do the same thing as there is very little the trauma doctors can do, as specialist treatment is often required for ocular disease.