Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale Referrals

Healthi Electronic Referrral System

All referrals by practitioners within Greater Manchester for a patient with a Greater Manchester GP should be made through the Healthi electronic referral platform. This will route the referral appropriately and also enable GP look-up. The referral information below is for information and for the use of practitioners outside Greater Manchester who have a GM patient, or for practitioners within GM if Healthi is unavailable for some reason.

You can find information on the urgency of referrals in Greater Manchester here:

Download pdf Guidance on the Urgency of Referrals in GM

This page provides referral details for patients registered with a GP in Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale Referrals CCG. For patients outside this area, use the GP search to find which CCG area protocols to follow and then consult that area's referral page

Click on the headings below for more information.

Referrals in General

Routine referrals that are not part of an enhanced service (e.g. glaucoma repeat readings) should go via the Choice Module on Optomanager. Remember that for routine referrals it may be up to 3 months before the patient is seen. "Soon" is not generally recognised by GPs or by HES appointments, so for anything that you feel is more urgent you should phone eye casualty for advice.

If your practice requires access to the CHOICE module please contact the LOC.
Patients already under care
In cases where a patient is already under the care of an ophthalmologist and a new routine condition has arisen, you should write to the ophthalmologist rather than re-refer.

If you are a practice outside the area and are referring an HMR patient then you should send routine referrals to the RBMS.

RBMS:
Fax: 01617165901
Tel: 0161 7165900
Post:
3rd Floor
Brook House
Oldham Rd
Middleton, M24 1AY
Email: pcn-tr.HMR-RBMS@nhs.net (only from NHS.net email account)

An electronic GOS18 template is available here for those without access to Healthi:

Download Form Electronic GOS18 template
General urgent referrals

Rochdale Eye Unit 9-5pm
Tel: 01706 517 838
NHSMail: pah-tr.urgentreferrals@nhs.net
Out of hours ask for on-call ophthalmologist
via switchboard 01706 377 777

If you feel a patient requires to be seen urgently you can phone the Rochdale Eye Unit from 9.00 till 5.00pm on 01706 517 838 and ask for advice. They will issue an appointment time. You should give a referral letter to the patient to take with them.

Out of hours ask for the on-call ophthalmologist via the switchboard on 01706 377 777
Wet AMD
Rochdale Care UK
Croft Shifa Health Centre
Fax: 01706 638594
Follow up telephone: 0333 321 8844
NHS Mail: cuk.northwestmacular@nhs.net or
Rochdale Eye Unit: (telephone lead nurse first)
Tel 01706 901 800
Fax 01706 901 607
NHSMail: pah-tr.urgentreferrals@nhs.net

The referral criteria for the Wet AMD service are a less than 3 month history of any of the following:
- • Visual loss.
- • Spontaneously reported distortion.
- • Onset of a missing patch/blurring in the central vision.
The vision should be better than 6/96 in the affected eye. If the vision is better than the accepted treatment threshold of 6/12 you should refer them anyway so they can be diagnosed and monitored.

You may phone to request confirmation of receipt of a faxed referral.

This information is for patients registered with a GP in HMR. You can find details of other Greater Manchester wet AMD pathways by looking at the relevant area's LOC pages. For areas outside GM look for the relevant area's LOC website for information.

The referral form (a Word doc) can be downloaded here:

Download WetAmd Referral Form

This can be filled electronically or printed. To edit the form, if you wish to add your practice details as a template, choose 'Tools' or 'Review' then 'Unprotect'. In protected mode use TAB to move between fields.
Cataract

Same as routine referral route, these should go via the Choice Module on Optomanager . If your practice requires access to the CHOICE module please contact the LOC.

If you are a practice outside the area and are referring an HMR patient then you should send the referral to the RBMS.

RBMS:
Fax: 01617165901
Tel: 01617165900
Post: 3rd Floor
Brook House
Oldham Rd
Middleton, M24 1AY
Email: pcn-tr.HMR-RBMS@nhs.net
(only from NHS.net email account)

Add the patient's choice of provider to the referral.
Referrals for Retinal Vein Occlusions

Rochdale Care UK
Croft Shifa Health Centre
Fax: 01706 638594
Tel: 01706 764 722
NHS Mail: cuk.northwestmacular@nhs.net or
Rochdale Eye Unit: (telephone lead nurse first)
Tel 01706 517838
NHSMail: pah-tr.urgentreferrals@nhs.net
out of hours ask for on-call ophthalmologist via switchboard Tel 01706 377 777

Any CRVO or BRVO should be referred directly for assessment and an urgent referral made to the patient’s GP practice for assessment for any underlying cause of RVO. The HES referral is not normally urgent. If there are any unusual features (such as the patient is unwell, optic nerve head swelling is present or the patient is of a young age, then please ring the clinic to discuss the case.

An electronic referral form is available here:

Download Form Electronic Referral Form
Suspect Glaucoma / OHT

Glaucoma repeat readings

In cases of raised IOP or suspect visual fields in the absence of any other signs of glaucoma the pressures and/or visual fields should be repeated on one or two occasions using Goldmann or Perkins tonometry as per the extended service provided by GM Primary Eyecare. The results are reported, and fees claimed, via the Optomanager online IT system.

If you have a patient with raised pressure or suspect visual fields, and you do not take part on the extended service, you should refer them to a participating optometrist for further assessment. You can find participating practices on the GMPEC website. Ask the patient where they wish to go and ensure they know. Use a referral letter and provide full details as you would for a GP referral

For further information see the GMPEC website.

Learn More Find a Practice

Glaucoma

Where there are signs of open angle glaucoma, with or without raised IOP, the patient should be referred routinely in the normal way. Closed angle glaucoma is an urgent referral.
Minor Eye Conditions

If your practice does not participate in this service, then minor eye problems such as red eyes, dry eye, flashes and floaters, foreign bodies etc should be referred to one of the MECS accredited optometry practices. A list of practices is available on the GMPEC website:

Learn More GMPEC Website
Safeguarding Children & Adults
Safeguarding in the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Area for Adults

If you are concerned about the welfare of an Adult, call or contact one of the following:
- • Adults Care Services Team : 0300 303 8886 Monday to Friday 8.30am-4.45pm or 0300 303 8875 at all other times
- • Greater Manchester Police: 0845 226 5500, 101 or in an emergency 999
The Adult Care Services website is here:

Learn More Rochdale Stay Well

Learn More Safeguarding adults at risk

Safeguarding in the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Area for Children

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call or contact one of the following:
- • Children's Social Care Services : 0300 303 0440 Monday to Friday 8.30am- 4.45pm or 0300 303 8875 at all other times. e-mail: social.services@rochdale.gov.uk
- • Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) website: www.rbscb.org
- • NSPCC 24hr 0808 800 5000 e-mail: helpline@nspcc.org.uk
- • Greater Manchester Police on 101, or in an emergency 999
Strokes & TIAs

Current symptoms of an acute stroke or acute TIA require a 999 call and emergency transfer of the patient to hospital. Where a patient has a past history of a TIA, with symptoms that have fully resolved, they should be advised to consult their GP as soon as possible.

See: Learn More Stroke: Act FAST

The GOS contract does not allow you to discriminate between patients by, for instance, not seeing a particular age group. If an infant presents to you for a sight test and you are uncomfortable seeing them you should ensure that you find them an alternative practice that can see them.
Low Vision

The Low Vision Leaflet (LVL) for putting visually impaired people in touch with social services can be downloaded here:

Download Form Low Vision Leaflet

The address to which it should be sent is:

Adult Social Care
Number One Riverside
Smith Street
Rochdale
OL16 1XU

Tel: 0300 303 8886social.services@rochdale .gov.uk

The Sightline Directory allows you to search for support services for a patient by town or postcode, and by type of service if you wish.
Learn More Sightline Directory

Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale Referrals

Healthi Electronic Referrral System

Glaucoma repeat readings

Glaucoma

Safeguarding in the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Area for Adults

Safeguarding in the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Area for Children

Female Genital Mutilation