RESIDENTS of Middlesbrough and Eston can now receive emergency eye care in the community in an innovative scheme.

Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) has been working in partnership with the eye department at James Cook University Hospital to develop the initiative with local optometrists.

Patients can visit one of four of them to be treated for symptoms including red eye, painful eye, discharge, running eye, blurred vision or sudden loss of vision.

Patients do not need to see their GP first, and there is no cost for the service other than the usual prescription charges if medication is needed.

Yvonne Watson, primary care service manager for Middlesbrough PCT, said: "This new service means that patients with emergency eye problems can be seen and treated more quickly, usually the same day, at an optometrist most suitable to them.

"All treatment can usually take place at the optometrist's, with no need to attend hospital.

"All you have to do is turn up and tell them that you would like to be seen as part of the emergency eye care scheme."

Optometrist Stewart Craig believes the scheme will take pressure off the emergency care units at hospitals and allow patients to receive quick and efficient treatment.

He said: "We can filter out the routine complaints from the more urgent and potentially eye-threatening cases. We will then be able to prescribe certain medications to relieve problems, and then we can either refer the person back to the doctor's for a repeat prescription, or to the eye specialist unit at the hospital."

Optometrists taking part in the scheme are:

* Cooper and Flower, 12 Parkway Centre, Coulby Newham, on (01642) 591459;

* Heenan, Cooper and Flower, 71 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, (01642) 247355;

* IC Craig, 23 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, on (01642) 243370;

* Specsavers Opticians, 27 Newport Road, Middlesbrough, on (01642) 222234