Digital eye screening for people with diabetes could save hospital appointments

The NHS is providing advanced eye scans closer to home for people with diabetes which could save up to 120,000 hospital appointments a year and help prevent life-changing sight loss. People with diabetes can develop a condition known as diabetic retinopathy, which is caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina). It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated but regular eye screening appointments can pick up problems early on. The rollout of optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans means around 60,000 people with diabetes can receive advanced screening outside a traditional hospital setting, such as some GP practices, community hospitals or mobile vans.