Diabetic eye screening FAQs - Diabetic eye screening interval change

People who are at a low risk of diabetic eye disease will now be invited for screening every two years instead of every year.

Evidence shows that it is safe for people with no diabetic eye disease to be screened every two years.

This change has been recommended by the UK National Screening Committee and Wales Screening Committee. It has already been made in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

This change will also help us to improve our service by seeing people at higher risk of diabetic eye disease sooner. By screening people at low risk less frequently, we will have more capacity to screen everyone else. This is especially important because the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, and needing eye screening, is increasing every year.

You are at low risk if your last two diabetic eye screenings showed no sign of diabetic eye disease.

Only people whose last two screenings found no sign of diabetic eye disease will be screened every two years.

If the change does not apply to you now, this does not necessarily mean that you are at high risk. Depending on the results of your future screening tests, you may be invited for screening every two years in the future.

If you are living with diabetes, you can reduce your risk of developing diabetic eye disease by:

• Managing your diabetes, including checking your blood glucose and taking your medication as prescribed
• Going to your diabetes appointments
• Going for your diabetic eye screening appointments when invited. Diabetic eye screening is part of managing your diabetes
• Go for your eye test with your optometrist when you are due. Diabetic eye screening is different to the eye test that you have with the optometrist
• Talk to your optometrist if you notice any changes to your eyesight

You will be invited for screening every two years if:

• you are aged 12 or over and living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  and
• your last two screenings showed no signs of diabetic eye disease

If you are pregnant, you will be screened more often. This is because you are at a higher risk of diabetic eye disease during pregnancy.

Yes, the change applies whether you are living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Yes, the change applies to anyone aged 12 or over whose last two screenings showed no sign of diabetic eye disease.

You will be invited for screening every two years as long as no changes are found at your screening appointments. If changes are found, you will be screened more often.

If you cannot make your screening appointment, let us know as soon as possible. We may be able to offer your appointment to someone else. You can call us to change the time, date and venue of your appointment.

Evidence shows that it is safe for people with no diabetic eye disease to be screened every two years. If diabetic eye disease does develop in the two years between your screening appointments, it will be found at an early stage, when it’s easier to treat.

If you notice any changes to your eyesight, contact your local optometry practice straight away. Do not wait for your next screening appointment.

No. Diabetic eye screening is different from the eye tests you have with the optometrist. To keep your eyes healthy, it’s important that you see an optometrist regularly as well as having diabetic eye screening.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is the independent scientific committee that makes screening recommendations to UK ministers and the NHS. In 2016, the UK NSC recommended changing the screening interval from every year to every two years for people at low risk of diabetic eye disease. This was because a large study showed that it was safe to invite people in this low risk group every two years rather than annually. The UK NSC’s recommendation was based on the evidence presented in this document:

Extending diabetic eye screening intervals for people at low risk of developing sight threatening retinopathy: a consultation.

To begin with, we will invite you for screening every year. If you have two screening appointments in a row that find no evidence of diabetic eye disease, we will be able to invite you every two years in future.

You can contact Diabetic Eye Screening Wales.

You can contact us in Welsh or English. It will take us the same amount of time to answer you, whichever language you choose.