Diabetics in South West England May Go Blind

Tue, 29 Sep 2009
A key health charity Diabetes UK has warned that 42,700 plus diabetics in the South West are at high risk of losing their sight due to the fact that they have not been screened using a digital camera to spot signs of retinopathy, the main cause of blindness in those of working age in the UK.

The most recent Department of Health figures show that a fifth plus (21.4 per cent or 42,713) of diabetics aged 12 and over in the South West did not receive retinal screening in the period from July 2008 to June 2009.

Over a third of (5 out of 14) of the South West’s Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are failing to meet national standards of annually screening 80 per cent of diabetics using a digital camera.

Retinal screening with a digital camera is employed to spot signs of retinopathy, a diabetic complication which occurs when blood vessels in the retina of the eye become blocked, leak or grow haphazardly.

Should this be left untreated, it can lead to damaged vision and ultimately to blindness

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