About the service
Visual problems can happen at any age, there may be a number of reasons for this such as: an underlying medical condition, such as an overactive thyroid, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or as a result of a head injury or trauma. The adult service provides monitoring and treatment of adults who maybe experiencing visual problems such as:
- Double vision
- Blurred vision
- Strabismus (squints)
Treatment may be in the form of:
- Prisms
- Glasses
- Orthoptic exercises
- Squint surgery
- Frosted lenses
- Combination of these
How to access the service:
Referral by your GP, local optician or Consultant.
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Eye alignment
- Eye movements
- Ability to use eyes together
How are the tests performed?
- Specialised equipment
- May be a stand alone assessment or joint with the eye doctor or optometrist
Useful links:
British and Irish Orthoptic Society
Royal College of Ophthalmologists
About the service
Children can develop a number of eye problems in early childhood. The orthoptic team are specialists in working with young children and are highly skilled in the assessment, diagnosis and management of childhood squints and lazy eye. The service provides monitoring and treatment of children experiencing visual problems such as:
- Reduced vision
- Strabismus (squints)
- Double vision
- Eye muscle imbalances
- Inability to use two eyes together
Treatment may be in the form of:
- Glasses
- Occlusion therapy (covering one eye)
- Eye exercises
- Surgery
- Combination of the above
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Eye alignment
- Eye movements
- Ability to use two eyes together
How are the tests performed?
A number of tests are performed in order to best understand your child’s visual needs. As part of this your child may be asked to match or say pictures or letters depending on their age and confidence. We will try to assess your child’s vision individually using an eye patch or special glasses with one eye blanked. The tests are carried out in such a way to make the assessment of your child's eyes easier, less frightening and fun. The appointment may be stand alone or alongside an eye doctor or optometrist.
How to access the service:
Referral by your GP, local optician or consultant.
Useful links:
About the service
The Cause For Concern clinics provide a rapid access, community-based service for children who may be struggling with their vision or possibly have a squint. The concern may be raised as part of a routine planned assessment by a member of the clinical team, or by a parent or carer. The service is mainly for children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years.
How to access the service
Referrals are accepted from your child’s wider health care team such as:
- Health visitor
- GP
- School nurse
- Community paediatric team
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Eye alignment
- Eye movements
- How the eyes work together
- Eye focus
How are the tests performed?
The orthoptist will try to assess your child’s vision individually using an eye patch, or glasses with one eye blanked out, using an age appropriate test. This may be in the form of saying or matching simple pictures or letters depending on your child’s age and ability. In some cases this may not be possible, but the orthoptists are able to use their observation skills and experience in order to make a judgement.
Where are clinics available?
- Alfred Bean Hospital*
- Anlaby Children’s Centre*
- Bransholme Health Centre
- Bridlington General Hospital
- East Riding Community Hospital
- Goole Health Centre
- Hessle Health Centre
- Hull Royal Infirmary
- Hornsea Cottage Hospital*
- Moriill Street Health Centre
- Orchard Park Health Centre
- Parks Health Centre
- Pocklington Health Centre
- Rosedale Community Unit*
- Withernsea Hospital*
* These clinics depend on patient numbers, if a clinic is not running your child will be sent an appointment at the nearest clinic.
Useful link:
About the service
The orthoptic special needs service provide short and long term care of children or adults with additional needs. The service provides a tailored approach for this group of patients in order to help ensure we enable the patients to make best use of their vision. The service provides 2 to 3 clinics on a monthly basis at the main eye clinic at Hull University Teaching Hospitals. The orthoptic team are specialists in working with individuals with additional needs and are highly experienced in working with this group of patients.
Referral options:
The service accepts referral form GP, local optician, or paediatric team.
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Eye alignment
- Eye movements
- Ability to use two eyes together
How are the tests performed?
Each patient is assessed depending on their ability and specific needs. The department has a highly skilled team who have experience working with patients with additional needs or communication difficulties. Some of the assessment may be done purely by observing the patient in clinic environment or following discussion with the patient’s parent or carer. Specialised equipment is also available that requires little input for cooperation from the patient. The appointment with the orthoptist may be stand alone or alongside an eye doctor or optician team.
Useful links:
British and Irish Orthoptic Society - BIOS
Royal National Institute of Blind People - RNIB
About the service
The Low Vision Service provides support for patients when sight can no longer be improved with glasses, contact lenses or by any medical or surgical treatment. While low vision cannot be cured, there are plenty of support services available to help you carry on living a full life. The Low Vision Service aims to maximise your remaining vision by providing a suitable optical aid in the form of magnifiers, which come in various strengths and sizes. Your low vision specialist will provide you with strategies and advice on how to make the most of your remaining vision.
What is assessed?
- Near vision
- Distance vision
- Contrast vision
How to access the service:
If you have been under the Eye clinic previously the service will accept self-referral , or a referral from your ophthalmologist (eye doctor), local optician, carer, Sight support, Social services, or Eye clinic liaison officer.
Who will benefit:
- Patients with reduced vision who are having problems and need help with everyday tasks
- Patients with reduced peripheral vision e.g. following stroke or glaucoma
Useful links:
About the service
Public Health England recommends all children between ages 4 and 5 years old, in their first year of school have their vision tested. The main aim of the screening programme is to identify any children with a lazy eye, squint or need for glasses. The Orthoptic Department is responsible for the screening programme in the Hull and East Riding region. The assessment is carried out at school or local clinic. Parent / Carers do not need to do anything, your child will be automatically invited to have their vision screening and the information will be sent to you.
Is the screening programme compulsory?
No, the service is run on an opt-out basis. If you do not wish for your child to be included in the programme you simply need to complete the opt-out form and send this to the Orthoptic Department.
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Eye alignment
- Eye movements
- Ability to use two eyes together
How are the tests performed?
Your child’s vision is tested individually using an eye patch or glasses with one eye blanked out using a letter matching tool, and doesn’t require your child to know their letters.
Will I be notified of the result?
Yes, you will be informed of the result. You will either receive a letter informing you that your child completed the test, or a letter stating a referral has been made for further testing to take place. If a referral is required the orthoptic team will try to contact you over the telephone in order to discuss the result in more detail.
Useful link:
About the service
Visual complications following a stroke can occur in up to 60% of patients and can be common in patients following a head injury. These complications can cause problems with rehabilitation, which may increase the patient’s length of stay in hospital, increase falls and reduce a patient’s independence including driving.
The Orthoptic Department aims to assess stroke patients at the Eye Hospital, Stroke Ward and Rossmore Stroke Rehabilitation Unit.
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Eye alignment
- Eye movements
- Ability to use two eyes together
- Peripheral vision
- Visual attention
How to access the service
The service accepts referrals from:
- Stroke team
- Occupational therapist
- GP
- Physiotherapist
- Local Optician
How are the tests performed?
Orthoptists are experts in the assessment of these complex cases and are able to assess patients at bedside or in the outpatients department within ophthalmology. Orthoptists can assess the visual function in almost all patients including those with poor cognition and have communication difficulties
Useful websites:
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - Stroke rehabilitation in adults - Vision (sight)
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) - Stroke-related eye conditions
- The British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS)
- Stroke Association
- gov.uk - Visual disorders: assessing fitness to drive
- Royal College of Physicians - National clinical guidance for stroke
About the service
The Visual Field Service provides an assessment of the patient's central and peripheral vision. There are two main types of visual field assessment; 'automated' and 'manual'. The test used will depend on the reason a visual field assessment has been requested.
How to access the service
The service accepts referrals from your consultant team.
What is assessed?
- Vision
- Peripheral vision
How are the test performed?
It is likely you will have already had a form of visual fields assessment carried out if you have ever attended your local optician for an eye test. The test is simple to carry out and the clinician carrying out the test will instruct you on what to do.
Useful links:
About the service
Visual Stress is a condition that can cause print to look distorted and can cause the eyes to quickly become tired when reading. The symptoms can happen even if you have normal vision, and it often happens when reading black text on a white background. Visual stress is not dyslexia, but it can result in difficulty with reading. It can co-exist with or without dyslexia. This service aims to provide testing for visual stress and other eye disorders that may cause difficulties when reading. Repeat study of the patients referred to the service have shown 60% of patients have underlying orthoptic problems that may be treated.
Symptoms may include:
- Moving print
- Blurring of print
- Letters changing shape or size
- Letters fading or becoming darker
- Patterns appearing – sometimes described as “worms” or “rivers” running through print
- Illusions of colour – blobs of colour on the page or colours surrounding letters or words
- Rapid fatigue when reading
- Headache or eyestrain
Treatment may be in the form of:
- Orthoptic exercises
- Glasses
- Coloured overlays
- Tinted lenses for children around 11 years old
Please note the NHS is unable to supply precision tinted lenses for adults and this will need to be self-funded.
How to access the service
The service accepts referrals from your GP or local optician.
Useful links: