Diabetes patients are to be offered advanced eye scans in the community as part of NHS England plans to reduce hospital appointments.
Around 60,000 patients with diabetes will be able to receive advanced screening in larger GP practices, community hospitals and mobile vans across the country, with the aim of saving up to 120,000 hospital appointments a year, according to NHS England.
The optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans will check for a condition that can affect diabetes patients called diabetic retinopathy, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye.
OCT scans use light waves to take more than 1,000 images of the eye to create a detailed 3D image which can give more accurate results than standard cameras.
Around four million people are registered with the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme, with 3.3 million of those having routine screening every one or two years. NHS England expects 60,000 patients to make use of the OCT scans in the community.
Ophthalmology makes up almost one tenth (8%) of the waiting list, with more than 500,000 ophthalmology operations every year and more than 7.5 million outpatient appointments.
But previously, less than a third of services were offering OCT, and ‘not equitably in all parts of the country’, according to NHS England. NHS staff are now being trained in OCT screening, with all eye care services expected to use the technology by next October.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: ‘It’s fantastic news that these advanced eye scans will be available closer to home for thousands of people with diabetes across the country.
‘This technology will help us find and treat diabetic eye conditions early, helping minimise and prevent sight loss, and it also means that thousands of appointments in traditional hospital settings could be saved, which is great news for the NHS.’
Minister of state for care, Stephen Kinnock, said: ‘This is a great example of a small change that can make a big difference, giving diabetes patients more reassurance and freeing up thousands of hospital appointments.
‘Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we will shift care out of hospitals and into the community, easing pressure on our A&Es and enabling patients to get help closer to home. These fundamental reforms mean we will build an NHS that is fit for the future and delivering for all patients.’
It comes as more than 5,000 patients have been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier due to an NHS initiative using mobile scanning trucks to visit local communities.
