Diabetic Eye Screening

What is the service?

Our Bristol, Weston, and Bath Diabetic Eye Screening services are part of the national NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme.

We offer annual photographic eye screening for people with diabetes aged 12 years and over who live in Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, West Wiltshire and Mendip.

Our eye screening clinics are available in GP practices, health centres and some hospitals. Our service cannot be delivered in patients' homes due to the requirements of the equipment we use.

What does this service do?

All people with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is caused when diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the retina, the part of the eye that acts similarly to a film in a camera.

Untreated diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common causes of blindness in the working-age population. It does not usually cause loss of sight until it has reached an advanced stage. Even sight-threatening retinopathy that is close to affecting your sight may not cause symptoms.

Diabetic Retinopathy is treatable, especially if it is caught early. Screening means examining your eyes regularly to look for the specific changes of diabetic retinopathy as early as possible. Screening will detect whether you need to be treated in a hospital eye clinic for diabetic retinopathy. Laser treatment is very effective at reducing loss of sight from diabetic retinopathy.

It's important that people with diabetes aged 12 years and over attend an annual eye screening appointment. We will automatically send you an invite for an appointment every year. Please don't confuse this eye screening appointment with the general eye tests you have with your optician. Screening does not replace your regular eye examinations. It is important to attend both.

Who is this service for?

All people with diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2) who are:

aged 12 years and over
registered with a GP surgery in Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, West Wiltshire or Mendip

If you are under the care of a hospital specifically for your diabetic retinopathy you will not usually be invited to be screened annually by our services until you have been discharged from their care.

How can I access this service?

Patients must be referred into our service by their GP. Once we receive a referral we will write to the patient offering an appointment.

If you are a GP wishing to discuss a referral please call us on the number below.

People with diabetes are welcome to contact·us directly for information and advice specifically about retinopathy and the screening process.

How to contact us

You can call us from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, or write to us at the address below. Please note that our screening clinics take place in various locations in the community.

For Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire patients our administration office is based at the following address:

address Bristol and Weston Diabetic Eye Screening Programme
Suite 3D
Whitefriars
Lewins Mead
Bristol
BS1 2NT