Investment in new high-tech cameras to detect diabetes-related eye damage

Health Minister Mark Drakeford has announced a half a million pound investment in the latest high-tech cameras which help identify eye damage-related to diabetes and save people’s sight (Weds 17th Sept).

The equipment will enable the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service Wales to detect damage to the retina caused by diabetes. This is condition is known as diabetic retinopathy, which can cause sight loss and eventually lead to blindness.

The new funding, worth £561,000, will allow the service to replace all its digital retinal cameras and allow clinicians to provide the best screening facilities for patients. The new cameras will feature the latest technology and be the third generation from the current model in use, meaning improved detection for patients.

The Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales, which was set up by the Welsh Government in 2002, screens people across the country to detect sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy at an early stage before they lose their vision. Clinics across Wales are visited by teams based in three centres – Treforest, Carmarthen and Bangor.

All people over the age of 12 who have been diagnosed with diabetes and registered with a GP in Wales should be referred to the service and screened every year. The latest figures show that of the 115,528 people who were screened in 2013-14, 29.2 % were found to have diabetic retinopathy.

Professor Drakeford will be speaking at Wales Eyecare Conference at the Cardiff School of Optometry and Vision Science later today.

He said:

“There are currently around 175,000 adults and children in Wales who are being treated for diabetes. We want to make sure those living with the condition have access to the best treatment and support available to help them manage their lives.

“This investment will mean people have access to the latest cameras available which are capable of detecting eye damage related to diabetes and, in many cases, will allow the Welsh NHS to take action to save a person’s sight.”

Andrew Crowder, head of programme at the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales, said:

“As one of the 15 healthcare essentials for people with diabetes, there is ever-growing evidence that regular attendance for diabetic retinopathy screening reduces the risk of sight loss.

“This investment is a statement of confidence in that clinical effectiveness and of the screening services’ ability to take advantage of the latest technology to improve our already internationally-recognised service quality.”