Standards › Standard 15 › Policies
Policy · OPT-POL-003 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee
Supports: Standard 15 (Optical and Hearing), criterion 15.7
At a glance
- Staff are trained to recognise sudden loss of vision or hearing, and other signs of an urgent eye or ear condition.
- Each such patient is sent the same day to emergency care (OPT-FRM-006).
- The referral and its time are recorded.
- Staff know who to call and where to send the patient.
- Stop and get help straight away if: a patient with sudden loss of vision or hearing is not referred the same day.
1. Purpose
To send patients with urgent eye and ear conditions to emergency care the same day (15.7).
2. Scope
| Applies to | Clinical and support staff in the hospital |
| Locations | All wards, clinics and departments of the facility |
| When | Whenever the activity described is carried out |
| Does not apply to | Activities covered by another document listed in section 15 |
3. Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clinical lead | The doctor or nurse in charge of the area at the time |
4. Background
Sudden loss of vision or hearing can be a sign of a serious condition that needs care the same day. Staff who recognise it, and refer at once, can prevent permanent loss.
5. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility | Competence |
|---|---|---|
| Lead optometrist or audiologist | Owns the referral route and the training | Clinician |
| Every clinical member of staff | Recognises and refers | Clinician |
6. Materials and equipment
| Item | Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Records and forms named in this document | Current version | Checked before use |
7. Safety
- Stop and call for help if a patient is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.
8. Before you start
- Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.
9. Procedure
Step 1. Recognise.
- Recognise sudden loss of vision or hearing and other urgent signs.
Key point: Recognise at once.
Step 2. Refer the same day.
- Send the patient the same day to emergency care, and record it on OPT-FRM-006.
Key point: Same day.
Step 3. Confirm.
- Confirm the patient reached the emergency service.
Key point: Confirmed.
10. Decision points
- No decision points in this procedure.
11. Special situations
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Out of hours | Follow the same steps. Use the on-call contact on the wall of the area. |
12. Escalation
- Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.
13. Monitoring
| Measure | Target | Frequency | Owner | If not met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent cases referred the same day | 100% | Each case | Lead optometrist or audiologist | Escalate to medical director |
14. Records
| Record | Kept in | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Record named in this document | Patient record or the area file | the period set by the facility’s records policy years |
15. Training
- Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.
16. Related documents
| ID | Title | Use |
|---|---|---|
| OPT-FRM-006 | Urgent eye and ear referral record | Record |
| PHC-SOP-003 | Referral criteria and referral tracking (existing, reused) | Procedure |
17. Evidence
| Reference | Note |
|---|---|
| E-009 | Based on the WHO World report on vision (2019) and the WHO World report on hearing (2021). |
| E-006 | ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted. |
| E-009 | ASF Expert Committee consensus. |
18. Change history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | the date of approval | First version | set Expert Committee approval |
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References
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)