Written question WQ99592

Everyone aged 12 or over, diagnosed with diabetes and registered with a GP in Wales is invited for screening through the Diabetic Eye Screening Wales (DESW) service in accordance with UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendations. Following a UK NSC recommendation, people with diabetes who have had two negative (no retinopathy detected) screening results can be safely invited on a two-yearly basis. Therefore, people living with diabetes in the Llanrwst area may be invited on either a yearly or two-yearly basis dependent on their previous eye screening results.

DESW delivers eye screening from a wide range of community venues including Public Health Wales screening centres, health board-provided community health centres or hospital sites and community centres. The location of screening venues is planned to ensure that participants are invited to attend a venue close to their home with the aim of offering a screening appointment within a 30-minute travel time. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, DESW was able to screen from a health centre within Llanrwst. Unfortunately, following the re-opening after the pandemic, like many other venues across Wales, DESW has not been able to access this specific venue. Alternative venues have been identified for participants who live in Llanrwst area, with participants mapped to the closest venues with screening appointments available. This allows DESW to operationally plan eye screening to ensure equitable access across all areas in Wales.

Diabetic patients are also entitled to access NHS funded Wales General Ophthalmic Service examinations, available in community optometry practices. The frequency of these examinations is a clinical matter determined on individual need.