Text Size:

Diabetic Eye Disease

Background

The diabetic retinopathy screening service for Wales

 

Background

  • Diabetes is the commonest single cause of visual failure in people of working age

  • About 30% of people with diabetes develop some degree of diabetic eye disease (retinopathy), and it is said to be sight threatening in around 6-8%

  • Sight threatening diabetic retinopathy can often be detected even before visual symptoms are present

  • Digital retinal photography is a more sensitive method of detecting diabetic retinopathy than the traditional method of viewing the retina through an ophthalmoscope

  • Deterioration in sight threatening diabetic retinopathy can usually be prevented by laser photocoagulation carried out by an ophthalmologist

  • People with diabetes should therefore be offered regular screening for diabetic retinopathy

  • Good glycaemic control reduces the risk of development and of progression of diabetic retinopathy. Hence, if its presence is detected then it is important to control glycaemia as well as possible

 

The diabetic retinopathy screening service for Wales

  • The DRSSW is an all Wales service designed to detect sight threatening diabetic retinopathy at an early stage, before visual loss occurs, thereby ensuring early treatment and preventing loss of vision in people with sight threatening diabetic retinopathy

  • The service operates by retinal cameras (with a photographer and a health care assistant) being deployed to a variety of hospital or community locations across Wales . Screening sites are chosen to allow all patients reasonable and equitable access to the service, taking into account public transport, parking, and access for disabled people

  • All patients known to have diabetes are screened, except:

  • Those under 12 years old

  • Those considered by their GP as mentally unfit to comply with the screening

  • Those registered blind, or those already receiving care from an ophthalmologist

  • Patients are referred to the DRSSW by their GP, practice nurse or hospital team. A screening request form has been devised for this. The DRSSW will schedule screening sessions and contact patients directly, usually about 3-4 weeks in advance of the appointment

  • The retinal photographs are graded by trained retinal graders. The results of the screening (the retinopathy grading reports) will be sent directly to the patient, and to the GP (and diabetologist, where appropriate). The DRSSW will refer people with sight threatening diabetic retinopathy directly to the dedicated ophthalmology clinic