DIABETIC SCREENING IN SOMERSET

There is now a national programme of screening for diabetic retinopathy which involves taking pictures of your eyes. This screening no longer takes places at your local opticians but this does not mean that you don’t need to see your optometrist for regular eye examinations. The diabetic eye screening service is to detect possible changes within the retina due to diabetes only; other eye conditions/disease may not be picked up by the screening. Your optometrist can advise you how often you should attend for an eye examination.

If you do not wish to or are unable to attend the diabetic retinopathy screening, then your optometrist may be able to give you a diabetic examination to check for any presence of diabetic retinopathy. However, this would not form part of the national screening programme and you would have to pay for this examination in most circumstances.

For further information about diabetic screening in Somerset you can download the question and answer information sheet below.