Rapid access to specialist-led care for sudden changes in vision, new flashes and floaters, eye pain, trauma, post-operative concerns and other potentially sight-threatening eye conditions.
Urgent contact is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our team will assess the nature and urgency of your enquiry and advise the most appropriate next step. In-person specialist assessment and treatment are arranged according to clinical need and availability.
When vision changes suddenly, early specialist assessment can be important. Some retinal and ophthalmic conditions are time-sensitive, and prompt diagnosis allows the appropriate treatment pathway to be established without unnecessary delay.
At The Retina Clinic London, we provide specialist urgent ophthalmic care supported by advanced diagnostic imaging, laser facilities, medical treatments and a dedicated onsite operating theatre.
Led by Professor Paulo Stanga and an internationally recognised team of ophthalmic specialists, our urgent contact service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patients and referring clinicians can contact us directly, with no referral required.
Our team has expertise across retinal, macular, vitreous, inflammatory and other complex ophthalmic conditions, allowing urgent symptoms to be assessed comprehensively and directed to the most appropriate specialist and treatment pathway.
Where clinically appropriate and necessary, we can often move from assessment to treatment on the same day. This may include retinal laser treatment, intravitreal injections, medical treatment or access to our onsite operating theatre for urgent surgery, depending on the individual clinical situation and availability.
Our focus is simple: timely access, careful diagnosis, specialist treatment and clear guidance when it matters most.
When to Contact Us Urgently
Please contact us promptly if you experience:
- Sudden loss of vision or a marked sudden deterioration in vision
- Sudden blurring or distortion of vision
- New flashes of light
- New floaters or a sudden significant increase in existing floaters
- A dark curtain, veil or shadow moving across your vision
- A sudden loss of part of your visual field
- A new blind spot or area of missing vision
- Sudden or significant eye pain
- A painful red eye, particularly when associated with reduced vision or sensitivity to light
- Eye trauma or injury
- New or worsening pain, redness or loss of vision following eye surgery, an eye injection, laser treatment or another ophthalmic procedure
- Any other sudden and significant deterioration in your eyesight
These symptoms can have several possible causes and do not necessarily indicate a retinal or ophthalmic emergency. However, they may require prompt specialist assessment to determine what is happening and whether treatment is needed.
What Happens When You Contact Us
Your enquiry will be assessed so that we can advise on the most appropriate route for your care.
Depending on the nature and urgency of your symptoms, this may involve:
- Arranging an urgent assessment at The Retina Clinic London
- Arranging assessment by the most appropriate ophthalmic specialist
- Proceeding to treatment where clinically appropriate and necessary
- Advising you to attend hospital emergency care when that is the safer or more appropriate setting
Where appropriate, we will arrange the earliest clinically suitable assessment.
Same-day assessment and treatment can often be provided where clinically necessary and appropriate. Our facilities include advanced retinal imaging, retinal and ophthalmic laser treatment, intravitreal treatment and a dedicated onsite operating theatre, allowing urgent surgical treatment to be arranged when required and available.
24/7 access refers to urgent contact and guidance. In-person assessment, diagnostic testing and treatment are arranged according to clinical urgency and availability.
A Detailed Specialist Assessment
Urgent eye symptoms require careful assessment.
Depending on your symptoms, an urgent examination at The Retina Clinic London may include:
- A comprehensive ophthalmic examination
- A detailed retinal examination
- Optical coherence tomography, or OCT, which provides detailed cross-sectional images of the retina
- Ultra-widefield retinal imaging
- OCT angiography, which provides information about retinal and choroidal blood flow
- Dilated examination of the peripheral retina
- Further imaging or investigations where clinically indicated
For symptoms such as new flashes or floaters, careful examination of the peripheral retina is particularly important to look for retinal tears or detachment.
Once the assessment is complete, your specialist will explain the findings clearly and discuss the appropriate next steps.
Access to Same-Day Urgent Treatment
Having diagnostic, medical, laser and surgical facilities within the clinic allows us to provide a highly coordinated urgent care pathway.
Where treatment is clinically necessary and appropriate, same-day treatment can be arranged.
This may include:
- Retinal laser treatment for retinal tears or other urgent retinal conditions
- Intravitreal injections, where medication is delivered directly into the eye
- Medical treatment for inflammation and other ophthalmic conditions
- Additional imaging and specialist monitoring
- Urgent vitreoretinal surgery
- Access to our dedicated onsite operating theatre
- Referral to another ophthalmic or medical specialist when appropriate
Not every urgent presentation requires immediate treatment. In some cases, careful monitoring, further investigation or referral may be the safest and most appropriate course.
When Hospital Emergency Care Is More Appropriate
Some emergencies require the wider facilities of a hospital emergency department rather than a specialist ophthalmic clinic.
Please seek hospital emergency care immediately if you have:
- A chemical injury to the eye
- A penetrating eye injury
- An injury caused by a high-velocity object
- Severe trauma to the eye, face or head
- Sudden loss of vision together with weakness, facial drooping, difficulty speaking, severe dizziness or other neurological symptoms
- Any injury or illness where there is an immediate concern for your general health or safety
In these circumstances, please do not wait for The Retina Clinic London to respond before seeking emergency care. You may contact us for advice where appropriate, and if we believe hospital care is the most appropriate pathway, we will advise you accordingly.
Urgent Eye Care at The Retina Clinic London
The Retina Clinic London combines specialist ophthalmic expertise with advanced diagnostic technology and access to medical, laser and surgical treatment within a single specialist setting.
With an internationally recognised clinical team, advanced retinal and ophthalmic imaging, dedicated laser facilities and an onsite operating theatre, we can provide a coordinated pathway from urgent assessment to treatment where clinically appropriate.
For patients who require urgent treatment, our ability to provide laser, injections and access to surgery within the clinic means that treatment can often be arranged on the same day when clinically necessary and available.
Above all, our aim is to provide clarity quickly: to establish what is happening, determine how urgently it needs to be treated and guide each patient towards the most appropriate care.
Contact Us for Urgent Eye Care
Urgent contact is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call +44 (0)20 4548 5310.
You do not need a referral to contact us.