Retinopathy screening programme underway in UK

A fresh new community-based digital eye screening programme is underway in Staffordshire. The screening programme is pledged to identify diabetic retinopathy at an early stage.
The Staffordshire Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service is trying to offset the effects of the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. The programme is one of the first in the UK, and is now averaging around 4,000 patient screenings per month. Their target? 36,000 diabetics by March 2008.
The programme is part of the South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust, and is an optimum example of how early prevention can benefit the community. The screenings are held in 60 optometrist practices, and use digital technology called OptoMize iP. This system was developed by Digital Healthcare, the leading supplier of diabetic retinopathy screening software.