Diabetics urged to undergo retinal screening (From This Is Wiltshire)

Diabetics urged to undergo retinal screening

2:30pm Wednesday 4th June 2008 in

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ALARMING Government figures show that more than 29,000 people with diabetes in Hampshire are at risk of losing their sight due to poor retinal screening.

The figure for the South West region is as high as 54,000.

Health charity Diabetes UK is urging people with diabetes to be screened for diabetic retinopathy, the primary cause of blindness in the UK's working-age population.

Anyone over the age of 12 diagnosed with diabetes should go for free retinal screening with a digital camera every year.

Retinal screening is used to spot signs of retinopathy, which occurs when blood vessels in the retina of the eye become blocked, leaky or grow haphazardly.

This blocks the light passing through the eye to the retina and if left untreated it can damage vision and ultimately cause blindness.

Jan Tyrrell, regional manager of Diabetes UK South West, says: "It is appalling that almost a quarter of people with diabetes in the South West are not getting free digital retinal screening every year.

"If retinopathy is caught early and treated properly then blindness can be prevented in 90 per cent of cases, so the simple screening process really could save the sight of hundreds of thousands of people.

"Retinal screening services in England are patchy. PCTs need to ensure they are reaching out to all eligible people to invite them for screening, and in turn people with diabetes must make every effort to get to these vital appointments.

"If they have problems attending they can talk to their healthcare team about what help and support is available."

Dr Alison Taylor, Consultant in Public Health at Hampshire Primary Care Trust said: "Hampshire Primary Care Trust takes very seriously the need to support and encourage diabetic patients to use the Diabetic Retinopathy services available.

"Within the past year we have invested in additional screening sessions and a new appointments system for the Diabetic Retinopathy service that covers the west of Hampshire.

"This appointments system will help us to ensure that those patients who would benefit from screening are invited to attend at the appropriate time.

"However, a third of people who live in the west and have been offered screening have chosen not to take up this offer," she added.

"This year we are investing more in the service and working to expand it to offer Diabetic Retinopathy screening to more people in Hampshire and we would like to encourage all those who are invited for screening to attend their appointment for this important health check."

Diabetes UK believes that retinal screening for people with Diabetes is vital and they are working hard to raise awareness of this.