Trusts to get £27m to buy eye cameras

Making the announcement, health minister David Lammy said diabetes was the leading cause of blindness in adults of working age and that the £27m would enable screening to be provided for everyone in the UK suffering from the condition. Around 1.3 million adults are diagnosed with the condition each year.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said negotiations were taking place between the DoH and camera manufacturers to achieve the best possible price but how the money was spent would be left up to the individual primary care trusts. 'Each PCT will work out how best to provide those resources, we are not being too prescriptive,' he said.
In the first year £5m will be made available, with £9.6m and £12.4m in the second and third years. The money is calculated to provide a digital camera for every 100,000 head of population.
Mr Lammy said: 'I am pleased to be announcing £27m for funding digital eye screening cameras. Many thousands of people with diabetes will benefit from enhanced eye tests as this money will ensure that all PCTs in England will have the latest state of the art digital cameras. This equipment will make diabetes-related blindness a thing of the past.'
National clinical director for diabetes, Sue Roberts said the money would provide a flying start for the National Screening Framework. The investment would start to provide a real benefit for sufferers, she said. Ms Roberts also announced £200,000 to be spent by Diabetes UK. This money will be spent to ensure the views of those with diabetes influence NHS services.
The money was welcomed by the Diabetes UK chief executive Paul Streets. He said: 'Too many people needlessly lost their sight due to diabetes and proper screening would help put that right.'