Remote consultations

NHS England has advised that where possible remote reviews and consultations (via phone or video) should be available to prevent the need for patients to attend the practice in person. The College of Optometrists guidance on providing care during the crisis advises that you should operate a locked-door policy and admit patients for pre-booked appointments only.

Also see the COptom temporary guidance on remote consultations during COVID-19 pandemic.

The AOP has produced guidance on when and how to provide a sight test during the pandemic, including a downloadable remote consultation form, and the COptom has a printable home sight test chart with video instructions.

The AOP also has a form for referring to an IP optometrist.

accuRx Fleming Video Consultation is a system that’s NHS approved, simple to set up, free of charge, and ready to use. To access Fleming, you should:

• have an individual (not organisational) nhs.net address. Learn how to acquire one here
• watch this video for set-up instructions
• look at these FAQs

Livi Connect is a free to use, web-based platform that healthcare professionals can use to conduct secure remote video consultations with their patients. It enables professionals to send a one-time SMS link to a patient's mobile phone, providing them access to a fully-encrypted video consultation. Learn more about Livi Connect.