Screening plan needs skills of optometrists

A 'ground-breaking' scheme to diagnose diabetes patients at risk of going blind by by-passing eye examinations is to turn to the profession for complicated cases. 

Leaman: raising the standard of screening and support

Efforts to hit the ambitious targets of diabetic retinopathy screening set by the Diabetes National Service Framework were boosted by the launch of the scheme this week which has been called a first-of-its-kind partnership.

The programme is aimed at diabetic patients in Swindon PCT, and the public/private scheme has been applauded by healthcare managers in the area.

It has been devised by 1st Retinal Screen, a company formed from long-term care management company Health Intelligence, and retinal screening business SweetPip.

Instead of eye examinations, screening using digital cameras will take place at three medical centres in Wiltshire. However, Phil Kirby, managing director of Health Intelligence and a director of 1st Retinal Screen, said he expected optometrists to be more involved in similar services around the country.

Kirby commented that early screening results using digital cameras had found 17.5 per cent of patients had cataracts or other media opacity - in other words, the retina cannot be photographed.

'Those people need to be referred to optometry services, to be screened using slit-lamp or biomicroscopy methods,' he said.

'We are in the process of integrating our screening programme to allow those people to be referred to optometrists, who receive a fee for their work. Currently we are bidding to establish similar schemes for six other PCTs, but the Swindon model is the first of its kind in England.'

Kirby added that early indications of the Swindon scheme will help identify and treat other eye conditions.

Jane Leaman, director of public health for Swindon PCT, said: 'This service is important and different. It means we can catch so many more patients early on and help dramatically reduce diabetes-related blindness, and it offers a much higher level of screening and support than previously, enabling us to meet the standards set out in the National Service Framework for Diabetes.'

The Government wants all people with diabetes to have access to diabetic retinopathy screening by 2007.