Diabetic Eye Screening Service (DES)

With this condition, the blood vessels in the retina can leak or become blocked. This condition may cause blindness or serious damage to eyesight. In its early stages there are no symptoms so patients may not realise they have diabetic retinopathy.

Screening

Screening is important because of the risk of damage to sight from diabetic retinopathy. Screening is a key part of diabetes care and can reduce that risk by detecting the condition early, before the patient notices any changes in sight. Untreated diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common causes of sight loss in people of working age. When the condition is caught early, treatment is effective at reducing or preventing damage to sight.

Referral routes

Diabetic Eye Screening is part of a national screening programme. All patients with diabetes, aged 12 and over, will be invited to attend via the national programme.

How often you're screened will depend on your last 2 screening results. If your last 2 screening results showed any signs of retinopathy, you'll continue to be screened every year or every 6 months. If your last 2 screening tests found no retinopathy, you'll usually only need to be screened every 2 years, rather than every year.

If you notice any changes to your eyesight in between screening appointments, go to your optician straight away. They may arrange an urgent referral for you.

Your care team

The Diabetic Eye Screening Service provides clinics at a range of locations across Fife including:

Diabetes Centre, Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
Carnegie Unit, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline
Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital, Buckhaven
Adamson Hospital, Cupar
St Andrews Community Hospital
Skeith Health Centre, Anstuther

It also provides a late clinic, up to 8.00pm, most Thursdays at either Carnegie Unit, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline or the Diabetes Centre, Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.

The Appointments Team is based at Cameron Hospital and can be contacted on:01592-226852 or you can email: fife.drsadmin@nhs.scot.. They can be also be contacted on 01592-226852 between 0915-1315 (outwith these times, an answering machine will take a message). You can also email: fife.drsadmin@nhs.scot.

An answering machine is in use outwith office hours.

The service uses text message reminders for appointments, if you would like to sign up to this, please contact the Appointments Team to give them your up to date mobile telephone number and your consent for text message reminders.

Preparing for your appointment

Remember:

to bring all the glasses and contact lenses you wear, along with lens solution for contact lenses;
you may be given eye drops to get a good photo so bring sunglasses with you in case the drops make your eyes feel sensitive;
to think about how you’ll get home after your appointment if you need to have eye drops which can affect your vision.

You should not drive for a few hours after you have eye drops.

During your screening appointment

Before the screening, a health professional will check your details and explain the test to you. You'll have an opportunity to ask questions. The person doing your test will:

check all your details with you such as date of birth, address, telephone number;
test your distance vision – remember to bring distance glasses;
take photographs of the back of your eyes - the camera does not touch your eyes.

The test usually takes 10 minutes, but can take up to 30 minutes if eye drops are used.

Eye Drops

There are no risks from diabetic eye screening, however, you may be given eye drops to get a good photo and there can be some side effects. If they're used:

your eyes may sting briefly;
your eyes may become sensitive to bright light for a short time - you may want to bring sunglasses to wear after the test;
you can have blurred vision for several hours - you should arrange another way to get home after your appointment as you should not drive for a few hours after you have them.

Test results

You’ll usually get your test results by letter within 4 weeks. If you haven’t had your results within 4 weeks, contact your GP Practice or the Admin office (see contact details above).

Your GP and hospital diabetes clinic also get a copy of your test results.

You will get one of four results:

No retinopathy found;
Minor changes are found;
Changes needing follow-up are found;
Unclear results (a further appointment will be arranged).

How often will I be screened?

Screening is offered to anyone with diabetes aged 12 and over. How often you're screened will depend on your last 2 screening results.
If your last 2 screening results showed any signs of retinopathy, you'll continue to be screened every year or every 6 months. If your last 2 screening tests found no retinopathy, you'll usually only need to be screened every 2 years, rather than every year. For more information, please see visit NHS Inform

Missed appointments

If it is suspected that a patient has defaulted from DES for any reason, the patient or their diabetes professional can make an appointment by calling the DES office at Diabetes Centre on 01592 26852 leaving us a message on the answer phone if necessary.

Emergency Eye Referrals

When patients with diabetes report to any diabetes professional that they have an urgent eye problem, such as a very painful eye or sudden loss of vision, the correct procedure is to contact switchboard and ask for the eye doctor on call. That doctor can then advise if the patient needs to be seen at the emergency eye clinic on the same day, or (if the problem does not seem so urgent) if the patient can be seen by their optometrist.

The Diabetic Eye Screening Team should not be notified as the problem is unlikely to be related to diabetic retinopathy.

Information for professionals

Diabetic eye screening briefing for professionals - Publications - Public Health Scotland