Injury, chemical and contact lens red flags

Eye injuries, chemical splashes and contact lens problems can worsen quickly. These cases need urgent attention, not routine appointments or general advice.

Support staff must be familiar with the practice's local emergency procedure before an incident occurs. In an emergency, follow the procedure, get help promptly and avoid delays from paperwork or uncertainty.

Injury and chemical concerns

• Chemical splash: cleaning chemicals, solvents, bleach, sprays, acids or alkalis in the eye.
• Sharp or penetrating injury: anything that may have pierced the eye or eyelid.
• High-speed impact: metal, grit, glass, tools, gardening equipment or sports injury.
• Vision change after injury: blur, loss, distortion, double vision, flashing, shadow or black spots.
• Severe pain or light sensitivity: especially where the person cannot keep the eye open.
• Blood, pus or foreign body: blood or discharge, or something stuck in the eye.

Contact lens concerns

A contact lens wearer with a red, painful, light-sensitive eye, discharge, reduced vision or a feeling that something is wrong needs urgent escalation. Do not advise continued wear. Follow the practice's local contact lens and urgent-eye process.

If a patient reports sleeping in lenses, water exposure, a retained lens, a recent fitting problem or symptoms after using drops or solutions, record the facts and hand over to the appropriate clinician or urgent route. Support staff can explain the next steps but should not give clinical advice.

Local emergency routes and manager controls

Injury, chemical and painful contact lens concerns should move quickly to the local urgent route, not into routine booking.