The NHS is providing advanced eye scans closer to home for tens of thousands of people with diabetes which could save up to 120,000 hospital appointments a year and help prevent life-changing sight loss.
People with diabetes can develop a condition known as diabetic retinopathy, which is caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina). It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated but regular eye screening appointments can pick up problems early on.
The rollout of optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans means around 60,000 people with diabetes can receive advanced screening outside a traditional hospital setting, such as some larger GP practices, community hospitals or mobile vans across the country, which will save hundreds of thousands of appointments, freeing up hospital care for people who need it most.
The move comes as part of an NHS England drive to boost productivity and provide the best patient care while driving maximum value for taxpayer, with figures showing new initiatives have helped the NHS save £2 billion in the first five months of this financial year to be reinvested for patients.
Around four million people are currently registered with the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme, and 3.3 million have routine digital screening every one or two years. It is expected around 60,000 people who are already showing signs of eye disease will take part in OCT screening, which is offered to people at higher risk of diabetic retinopathy.
OCT uses light waves to take more than 1,000 images of your eye, from the retina to the optic nerve to create a detailed 3D image that gives more accurate results than standard cameras. The scans detect changes to the eye that don’t show up in colour photography, such as a thickening of the retina.
Steve Russell, NHS National Director for Vaccinations and Screening, said: “It’s fantastic news that these advanced eye scans will be available closer to home for thousands of people with diabetes across the country.
“This technology will help us find and treat diabetic eye conditions early, helping minimise and prevent sight loss, and it also means that thousands of appointments in traditional hospital settings could be saved, which is great news for the NHS.”
