A YEAR IN RETINAL SCREENING - 2021 Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes affecting the eyes and is one of the top five causes of blindness and sight loss in both the working age population and developed world. Retinal screening of patients with diabetes has been shown to reduce the risk of sight loss by allowing prompt identification and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. There are approximately 4,500 patients with diabetes in Jersey. This number is increasing, in keeping with the international rise of this disease.
Over the last 12 months the Jersey Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme has gained traction and fully launched. As a result the number of patients referred to ophthalmology from the service has been reduced by over 90% and wait times for our diabetic patients have reduced significantly. The RSP has also started repatriating patients from ophthalmology’s digital surveillance clinic. All these factors result in both cost and medical time savings for Jersey Health, along with improved outcomes for patients.
Retinal screening programmes (RSP) are described as complex compared with other screening programmes. This is due to various factors - including that entry onto the programme is predicated by a clinical diagnosis rather than an age, also that patients will require screening for their entire lives - and the service needs to make provision for these factors. In addition, the monitoring of any retinopathy may transfer between ophthalmology and RSP numerous times over the years. A RSP has a variety of possible outcomes, including surveillance pathways rather than a more distinct yes/no outcome. A robust RSP reduces the number of patients that need to enter ophthalmology by keeping them within the RSP until the point of treatment.
The RSP appointed a programme manager and clinical lead in March and a specialist optometrist in July. The appointment of these staff members ensured that strong governance was developed and maintained. The RSP adheres to most guidance by Public Health England (PHE), whilst taking advantage of being our own jurisdiction to make upgrades to our programme and develop a surveillance programme.
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