People with diabetes aged 12 or older should get their eyes screened regardless of whether they use insulin, tablets or diet to keep your their diabetes under control.
At the appointment your sight will be checked. Please bring all spectacles that you may use. You will still need to attend your optometrist (optician) every one or two years for a sight test and checking your overall eye health.
You will have drops put in your eyes. These will make your pupils bigger. You may want to bring sunglasses with you as everything will look bright due to these eye drops.
It is very important that you DO NOT DRIVE for four to six hours after having the eye drops as your vision will be affected. See below for further information on eye drops.
Photos are taken of the back of your eyes. You will see a flash but nothing touches your eyes.
The sooner you are screened, the sooner we can detect potential problems and protect your vision.
Remember, diabetic eye screening does not detect other eye conditions such as glaucoma or cataracts.
Your results will be posted to you within six weeks. Your GP will also be provided with a copy of your results.