Independent Sector Providers

This page is to support your decision making when you refer patients for further investigation. Patients should always be offered choice of provider with their best interest regarding outcome in mind.

Cataract Surgery Referrals
Ensure you are aware of the Service Restriction Policies in place for your patients. This policy will depend on the area where the patient has a GP, not where the patient has their surgery. If the patient does not meet the requirements for surgery, the cataract providers will not be able to perform cataract surgery.
When you refer a patient for cataract surgery, if they are already under a particular hospital for another eye related condition, it is usually in the patient’s best interest to be referred back to the same hospital for their cataract surgery. This is because the surgery may upset the disease control of the original pathology, especially with glaucoma patients. When referring your patients, please ensure they are aware of this requirement and ensure your referral states which hospital they are under already.

Referrals for Other Subspecialities
Several ISPs will also see patients requiring other investigations due to their suspected pathology eg YAG, Oculoplastics, Anterior Segment, Glaucoma and Wet AMD.

  • Ensure you are aware of which providers treat which conditions when referring.
  • Ensure you follow the referral pathways for each area you work within as this affects an individual patients eligibility.
  • Ensure you refer with the correct speed of referral for the suspected condition seen.
  • For continuity of care, wherever possible, refer the patient for any new pathology to the same provider where they are already receiving eye treatments.

ISP Hospital Exclusion Criteria
Please ensure you are aware of each hospital’s exclusion policy before making a referral. More details are available:
Hospitals exclusion criteria for cataract surgery – August 2024

Waiting Times for ISPs
The following link is the waiting times for ISPs which is updated every three months by the LOC. It also includes information to help support patient choice.

Independent Sector Providers Oct 2025

Patients whose GP is within West Essex Area

You can refer cataract patients and patients requiring YAG with a West Essex GP directly to any Independent Sector Provider (ISP).
Please remember, you cannot refer directly to PAH who will accept all subspeciality referrals. All routine referrals go via the GP.
There are only two ISPs in West Essex itself, although other ISPs from a wider area will also receive your referrals, (see MSE and NE Essex below):

  • Ramsay Rivers – Sawbridgeworth
  • The Holly – Buckhurst Hill

Currently, no ISP in West Essex offers additional Ophthalmology services funded by the NHS.

Patients whose GP is within Mid/South Essex Area

All routine referrals, except paediatrics, in MSE must now be sent via the triage hub.
All Cataract referrals must meet the SRP requirements
All providers are now required to meet these minimum waiting times for MSE patients for cataracts:

  • From 1st June 2025 – Minimum wait of 8 weeks for cataract procedures
  • From 1st October 2025 – Minimum wait of 14 weeks for cataract procedures

Any patients will be sent a choice of provider letter regardless of any discussion you may have had regarding any choice of provider. This is an ICB requirement.
Direct referrals to providers, except Wet AMD, will be rejected by the providers.
Southend and Broomfield Hospitals will accept all subspeciality referrals directly.
The following ISPs have contracts to see MSE patients, after triage hub review, and the subspecialities they see are listed with each provider:

ACES Eye Clinic – Chelmsford
ACES inclusion criteria – ACES Triaging Ophthalmology Referrals-July-2024.pdf

Southend Private Hospital –
They are commissioned to provide Consultant led NHS Ophthalmology services and can see all routine general ophthalmic activity. After triage through the referral hub, they will accept referrals for general ophthalmic conditions (anything you would usually send to Southend or Orsett hospital) with the following exclusions:

  • Any urgent/emergency condition should be referred as usual to the Southend Hospital Eye Service
  • Patients with potential cancer of the eye
  • Patients with a squint
  • Patients with a potential neurological condition
  • Patients with any potential macular condition
  • A patient with incapacitating disease that is a constant threat to life
  • A patient who has an unstable mental condition and is receiving psychiatric treatment
  • A patient who is grossly obese with a BMI>40
  • Patients under 18 years of age

Spa Medica – Chelmsford
Commissioned to see Cataract and YAG and will accept direct referrals for WET AMD

Spa Medica – Romford
Commissioned to see Cataract and YAG and will accept direct referrals for WET AMD

Patients whose GP is within North East Essex Area

All referrals in NE Essex can be sent directly to any Independent Sector Provider (ISP). All ISPs in NE Essex will accept YAG and Cataract referrals (within the SRP requirements) but additional services offered by some ISPs are Oculoplastic, Anterior Segment, and Wet AMD referrals.
Colchester Hospital will accept all subspeciality referrals directly.
The following ISPs have contracts to accept NE Essex patients, although other ISPs from a wider area will receive your referrals:

  • NewMedica – Ipswich
  • Oaks (Ramsay) – Colchester
  • Optegra – Colchester
  • Spa Medica – Colchester