Diabetic eye screenings

sammi4688

Active Member
Messages
32
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi I'm not entirely sure who to contact, I phoned boots who did my eye screening last year to see what date it was and it was April. This means I'm 2 months overdue my eye screening however I haven't received an invitation from the NHS to book an appointment. Any advice on what to do next? x
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Have you by any chance changed your address?

I was due mine in early May and heard nothing. I use the mobile NHS Eye Screening service. I changed my address last summer and informed my GP practice and the hospital. Yesterday I rang the number on my last invitation letter and discovered they had sent me an invitation sometime in April. The lady was able to tell me when my appointment is booked for and promised to send me another letter. She said a change of address normally filters through to them, but not all the time.
 

WackyJacky64

Well-Known Member
Messages
439
Type of diabetes
Prefer not to say
Treatment type
Other
you can contact them for an appointment , i just saw the nurse this morning and she said this to me ,
 

Pipp

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
10,622
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
In addition to the advice already given by members here, I wonder if the info I was given by the clinician at my screening a few months ago is relevant. He told me that the reason I had waited longer than a year between appointments was that people with long term diabetes diagnosis, who had several consecutive clear retinopathy screenings, were being considered for less frequent call back. I feel it is a good job that I also have a thorough annual eye check, which includes retina photographs, carried out by my local, independent, friendly, knowledgeable optometrist.
 

Dark Horse

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,840
In addition to the advice already given by members here, I wonder if the info I was given by the clinician at my screening a few months ago is relevant. He told me that the reason I had waited longer than a year between appointments was that people with long term diabetes diagnosis, who had several consecutive clear retinopathy screenings, were being considered for less frequent call back. I feel it is a good job that I also have a thorough annual eye check, which includes retina photographs, carried out by my local, independent, friendly, knowledgeable optometrist.
There is a move to increase the screening interval to every 2 years for people who have no retinopathy in either eye at 2 successive screenings but that hasn't been introduced. If/when it is introduced, the results letter should clearly say that the recall interval is 2 years rather than 1 year.

The current standards (from 31 May 2019) say:-

Providers should operate a 12-month screening interval. To ensure that the 12-month screening interval is maintained, the invitation should be offered to enable the appointment to occur ≤ 6 weeks after the due date. If the screening interval is not maintained, people with diabetes may not be seen often enough and detection of disease may be delayed. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...e-timely-recall-for-routine-digital-screening
 
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Pipp

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
10,622
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks, @Dark Horse . That would explain why for the last few years the intervals between my appointments have been 13 to 14 months.