First Step CVI Service
Supporting people with sight loss across Greater Manchester
Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI)
If your sight loss reaches certain levels, you can be certified as severely sight impaired or sight impaired by your eye specialist (ophthalmologist).
A Certification of Vision Impairment (CVI) form is completed by your eye specialist and a copy is sent to your local council, your GP, our Greater Manchester First Step CVI Service, and to you.
The First Step CVI Service ensures that everybody who receives a CVI has access to support at the time of receiving their CVI. The team will provide information, advice and guidance to patients and make sure they are referred on to organisations that can help to support them.
How it works
The CVI forms will be sent to the First Step CVI Service. The team will then contact patients by phone to explain the service and the support available to them. Patients can also contact the team directly for support at the time they need it.
We know that not everybody who receives a CVI gets information and support at the time of diagnosis. Our First Step CVI Service aims to ensure that everyone who receives a CVI is aware of what they are entitled to and where they can go for further support.
Sight loss can have a huge impact on peoples’ lives. The service aims to ensure people know they are not alone. It will help to guide them to the support available.
FAQ’s to our First Step Service
