DRWF and the Portsmouth and the South East Hampshire NHS Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme held a Diabetic Retinal Screening Information Morning in Hampshire on Saturday, 12th June 2010 to mark the beginning of Diabetes Week.
For delegates, the information morning offered an ideal opportunity to learn more about diabetic retinopathy, the importance of screening and how to reduce the risk of developing this long term complication of diabetes.
The talks were delivered by healthcare professionals from the local Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme and included an introduction to diabetes by Julia O’ Mara, Modern Matron for General Practice, the diabetic retinal screening programme by Claire Fleming, Programme Manager, NHS Portsmouth and Shirley Welch, Lead Screener, Care UK. There was also a talk on diabetes and ophthalmology by Mr Yit Fung Yang, Consultant Opthalmologist, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth.
One delegate, Margaret Causer said, ‘I learnt a lot more about my diabetes because I was only diagnosed six months ago. I also learnt what to expect from retinal screening and I will be going to my first screening appointment with a little of the apprehension taken away’.
Claire Fleming, Programme Manager, NHS Portsmouth, said, ‘The NHS can scare people, so what we wanted to do was give information to people with diabetes about why it’s important to get your eyes screened. A non-threatening way of doing that was via an independent body. DRWF has given us the ability to reach a different section of people with diabetes. There are a lot of people out there with diabetes that aren’t part of the national screening programme.’
‘It’s important for people with diabetes to be screened regularly, an optician cannot give the same level of screening as that of our national screening programme and it is free. You’re entitled to attend a screening appointment annually if you’re a diabetic and it will also enable you to have direct referral into our ophthalmology service if you do have early signs of diabetic retinopathy so we can treat people more quickly’.
Lee Calladine, DRWF Events Co-ordinator said, ‘I sit as a patient advisor on my local retinal screening board. It was at one of the meetings where I first became aware of the need to improve the uptake of diabetic retinal screening so I suggested we hold the information morning to help raise awareness. The day went really well and DRWF would like to extend our thanks to all of the speakers who kindly gave up their time to help on the day’.