Eyecare:
During lockdown, the service continued to screen high risk people with diabetes (e.g. pregnant ladies and some of those on a 3 or 6 month recall) although the screening service was paused for all other people.
Moving Forward
The National Diabetic Eye Screening Team have recently issued guidance to restart screening for all in a phased approach from Monday 27th July 2020. Our Restoration Plan has been agreed with the local NHS England and NHS Improvement Commissioners and we are very pleased and eager to start
screening once again.
We will invite people to screening appointments in the following order:
1. Invite over next few weeks and months – those who are pregnant, under digital surveillance, newly diagnosed, had background retinopathy at last appointment (R1M0) or did not attend their last appointment.
2. January 2021 – Those who at their last appointment had no retinopathy or maculopathy (R0M0) are at much lower risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.
Appointment Arrangements
We have taken several practical steps to ensure those attending and our staff are kept safe in the clinics. Full instructions on these new arrangements will
be given in the appointment letter, during any telephone contact and are available on the website, www.desphiow.co.uk