​​​Emergency

If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or seek emergency medical advice via phone to on-call consultant/registrar:

  • recent cataract surgery with increasing pain, redness, blurring or flashers/floaters
  • acute angle closure.

When public outpatient services are not routinely provided

  • Lens opacities that do not cause visual symptoms or limit daily activities.
  • Without an optometrist, orthoptist or ophthalmologist report.
  • Patient does not want surgery.
  • Assessment with optometrist and not affecting activities of daily living (ADLs).
  • Refractive lens exchange (except for medical reasons).

Criteria to access public outpatient services

Category
Criteria
Category 1
Recommended to be seen within 30 calendar days

Cataract with significant impact on activities of daily living (ADLs) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 6/60 or worse in both eyes.

Category 2
Recommended to be seen within 90 calendar days
  • BCVA worse than 6/60 in one eye.
  • Cataract causing other ocular complications interfering with management of other sight-threatening problems.
  • Cataract in only functional eye.
Category 3
Recommended to be seen within 365 calendar days

Cataract with significant impact on ADLs after a thorough visual assessment and non-surgical management (including glasses) by an eye health professional, and patient open to having surgery.

Information to include within a referral

Required

  • Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (in each eye) by eye health professional.
  • Refraction.
  • Whether first or second eye.
  • Symptoms and duration of problem.
  • Functional impact on activities of daily living (ADLs).
  • Other relevant ocular pathology.
  • Interpreter required (if so, preferred language).

If available

  • Patient health summary (including relevant medical history and current medications).
  • Guardianship status.
  • Professional driver with specific visual acuity requirements for employment.
  • Driving status.
  • Social circumstances.
  • Catquest-9SF assessment tool.
  • Cat-PROM5 assessment tool.
  • If the patient is a falls risk.
  • If the patient identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
  • If the patient is considered ‘at risk’ and/or among a vulnerable, disadvantaged or priority population.

Important information for referring health professionals​

If there is a change to a patient’s condition while waiting for their appointment, referring health professionals may further investigate and manage the situation, or send an updated referral to the outpatient service. Where there are significant concerns about a patient's condition, referring health professionals may check HealthPathways for urgent/same day advice or contact the relevant clinical team.​​​

Contact us

If you would like to provide feedback about the contents of this page, please submit an enquiry to the SRC project team at NSW Health.

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Other adult conditions with referral criteria

Current as at: Wednesday 14 February 2024
Contact page owner: System Purchasing