Diabetes yearly eye test

[lady]

Can anyone tell me if the yearly diabetic eye test is being stopped at your local optician as from 1st April 2017.

I got a letter from my optician for my sight test for glasses, on talking the receptionist told me that from 1st April 2017 the government has stopped opticians doing the diabetic yearly eye test screening. I'm just wondering if this is true. As the receptionist didn't know where you went, but said the hospital would send me a letter.

Many thanks

 

[AndBreathe]

Can anyone tell me if the yearly diabetic eye test is being stopped at your local optician as from 1st April 2017.

I got a letter from my optician for my sight test for glasses, on talking the receptionist told me that from 1st April 2017 the government has stopped opticians doing the diabetic yearly eye test screening. I'm just wondering if this is true. As the receptionist didn't know where you went, but said the hospital would send me a letter.

Many thanks

My optician does look at my retina when I have my sight test, but I have always had my official retinopathy screening at either my local surgery or the hospital, if I can't make the dates when the screening service reaches the surgery.

Perhaps your area is doing something similar.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I have never hads my retinal screening at an optician. I go to the national screening service when it visits my town. I do know that our free eye sight tests are now every 2 years at the optician. It was annual.

 

[Deleted Account]

I have just come back from my opticians. They explained that, in order to save money, the NHS are trying to reduce eye tests to every two years. This is in addition to the annual retinal scan which, at least in my area, are not done by the opticians but at my local surgery (they have a van which drives around all the surgeries in the area).
The optician went on to say that this reduction is only advice. If I felt I needed to visit them annually because, for example, I felt there was a change in my prescription, this could be arranged. I think they just need a justification to put on the form when the optician claims their money back from the NHS.
In addition, I could go to the optician as many times as I wanted and pay for my own eye check.

 

[douglas99]

My local optician does mine every year, including the screening, then sends the image to the local eye hospital for a second opinion.
I shall have to enquire if this is becoming bi-annual.

 

[RosieLKH]

Round here (Cambridgeshire) they have changed from going to opticians on a list to a team who come to our GP centre.

 

[Pinkorchid]

My T2 husband and I have our retinal scans done at a health centre in the county we live in, Most opticians where we live do not do them only Spec Savers do I think but I have often wondered if the SpecSavers one is as good as the NHS retinal scan we have when drops are put in our eyes to dilate the pupils

 

[therower]

Diabetic retinal screening in my area is a yearly event and takes place at my local surgery, usually in December.
I have an eye test at the local opticians once a year. Tests are totally different.
No one as mentioned a change in regularity so far.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Specsavers changed my normal eye test appointments to annually rather than bi-annually when I told them I was diabetic. They take retinal photographs for everyone as a matter of course. I get the retinopathy scans at my local hospital. I asked about the duplication and the hospital said they get better images because of the eye-drops and the images are examined by specially trained people using large high resolution monitors. The results take about 3-4 weeks to come back but it seems a good system to me.

 

[douglas99]

It does seem my area is very diabetic friendly compared to other regions.

 

[ally1]

I have my annual retinal test at the centre that just does these tests. No opticians here do them.
I had heard rumours about having them done every 2 years if previous tests were clear but have not heard any more about it

 

[Goonergal]

Just had my first retinal screening today. It was at the local hospital. Haven't had the option to get it done at the optician.

 

[Deleted Account]

This thread seems to be talking about two different things
- the annual retinal screening
- the free eye tests you can get at an Opticians by proving that you have diabetes
The first seems to be arranged through GP surgery or local hospital. The second is funded by the NHS but it is entirely up to the individual to arrange. I have been told this second test was annually but is now being encouraged to be every two years.