Community angered by decision to move vital diabetes eye checks

Councillors in a small town in north-east Wales have hit out at the NHS over their decision to scrap a service that checks for diabetes-related eye problems.
Local health officials have decided to stop offering the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales (DRSSW) at the Roseneath Medical Practice. Instead, patients with diabetes who are currently tested at the practice will now have to travel to the town of Mold.
The DRSSW said “access issues” were the reason for the move, but angry community leaders have blamed it on NHS “penny-pinching”.
“This is a vital service and I think it’s an absolute disgrace we’re being penalised. It’s unacceptable,” said Buckley councillor Dennis Hutchinson.
“Buckley is miles bigger than Mold and there are a lot of people who depend on this. Whoever made this decision should be ashamed of themselves for even suggesting it, let alone implementing it. It’s a dreadful idea.”
Andrew Crowder, from the DRSSW, said: “Unfortunately we have had to move the screening services at the Roseneath Medical Practice for the foreseeable future because of access issues.
But he stressed that access to the retinopathy screening service is less than 10 minutes away, with Mold situated just 2 miles west from Buckley.
“Our staff do their very best to deliver this service as close to people’s homes as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience caused,” he added.