Acute Community Eyecare
Service for Somerset
What is Aces?
ACES is a free service available to all patients registered with a Somerset GP. The service is designed for the assessment and treatment of recently occurring medical eye conditions.
The service is provided by local optometrists with the specialist knowledge and skills to carry out this work at locally approved opticians.
Please Note:
If you have an eye condition that is being regularly monitored by your optometrist or hospital eye service, this will not be covered by ACES; for example: cataracts, glaucoma or dry eye.
The service does not replace the routine eye examination, eye tests or prescriptions for spectacles.
A sight test will not be performed as part of the assessment or treatment and you will not be issued with a prescription for spectacles.
Medical eye conditions which can be treated by ACES
The service is designed for recently occurring medical eye conditions such as:
- Sudden or recent reduction in vision in one or both eyes
- Red eye(s) or eye lids
- Pain and/or discomfort in the eyes, around the eye area or temples
- Recent onset or sudden increase of flashes and/or floaters in one or both eyes
- Mild trauma, for example a scratch to the outer surface of the eye(s) or lid(s)
- Suspected foreign body in the eye
- Recent onset of double vision
- Significant recent discharge from or watering from the eye
Eye conditions which cannot be treated by ACES
If you have any of the following eye conditions you should go direct to Accident & Emergency
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Considerable eye pain
- Significant trauma such as a penetrating injury or lacerations to the eye(s) or lid(s)
- Chemical injury or burns
- Recent eye surgery
If you have an eye condition that is being regularly monitored by your optometrist or hospital eye service, this will not be covered by ACES; for example:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Dry eye
REMEMBER YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE AFTER YOUR ACES APPOINTMENT.