GENERAL-PRACTICE REFERRAL LETTERS TO A REGIONAL OPHTHALMIC ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

A significant proportion of patients seen in ophthalmic Accident and E mergency departments are referred by other medical practitioners, Two hundred and twenty-six referral letters from general practitioners to the Accident and Emergency Department of a large regional ophthalmolog y centre were examined. Information that was poorly recorded in the re ferral letters included social and personal background details, examin ation findings, management plans and investigation results. Analysis r evealed that 50-70% of referrals did not constitute accidents or urgen t conditions and could have been more properly assessed within usual o utpatient clinics. Ophthalmic Emergency is therefore providing a servi ce for general practitioner referrals in excess of its defined functio n, The impact on purchaser/provider arrangements if appropriate redire ction to outpatients were to occur would be significant.