Generally, the service receives referrals directly from eye hospitals. The hospital eye consultant (ophthalmologist) is the person who decides whether someone’s sight loss is permanent and significant enough to meet the criteria for certification as severely sight impaired or sight impaired.  These criteria are set by the government.  

If the person’s sight meets the criteria, then the consultant ophthalmologist goes ahead with the process of certification. This involves completing a document called a Certificate Of Visual Impairment (CVI). A copy of the CVI is sent to Camden, and this constitutes the referral to the sensory team.

If you are referring someone into the sight loss part of the service, they must meet one of the following criteria:  

• They must have a specific eye condition.  
• They must be (or used to be) followed up by an eye hospital 
• They must have 'non-correctable sight loss' in both eyes. 
• They must have functional difficulties (putting them at risk of falls, etc)
  

When making a referral, please include the following information if possible:  

• Their specific eye condition(s) if known  
• Any current or previous hospitals who have treated their eye condition(s) 
• Their NHS number
  

Referrals are done by contacting the Front Door Duty Team using the details below: 

Email: [email protected] 

Phone: 020 7974 4444.

Once the referral is received, the team will check if it is appropriate. This may involve contacting the hospital where they are being or were previously treated for their eye condition. You must gain the consent of the person you are referring to facilitate this. 

Depending on the needs of the person referred, they may receive:  

• advice and information 
• mobility training (such as using a long white cane) 
• independent living skills (such as cooking, telling the time or managing medication) 
• setting up accessibility features on a digital device 

 In some cases, the service can also provide equipment and adaptations in people’s homes. This will depend on the person’s individual circumstances and whether it will improve their life. Examples of equipment are:  

• Large button phone – for people unable to use standard size phones. 
• Canes – symbol canes, guide canes or long canes are all ‘white sticks’ that will be used in different ways and for different purposes. This would be combined with training on how to use it.   
• LED task lamp – they are usually given to make reading easier or to help with independent living skills (such as illuminating a cooking area or food on a plate) 

• Lighting adaptations if ceiling light is not appropriate. 
• Painting step edges to minimise risks of falls (if legally possible) 

Further details on help available from the visual impairment sensory needs service, including a full list ofwhat may be provided (IF proven to help) can be found here.

After the person has been assessed by the team they may be offered rehabilitation input to help them carry on doing the daily living activities they were doing before their sight loss: 

This could include support with everyday activities in the home such as cooking, making hot drinks, telling the time or using a mobile phone. We may issue simple pieces of equipment to help, such as a liquid level indicator or talking clock. 

For those who can walk unaided outside, we may be able to provide Mobility Training – this is learning how to use a white cane to travel independently.