Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP)
When diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the part of your eye called the retina, this is known as diabetic retinopathy. In the early stages, diabetic retinopathy will not affect your sight. However, if the changes get worse, your sight will be affected.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most commonly described complication of diabetes and it is the leading cause of blindness in the working age population in the western world. Screening for diabetic retinopathy has been shown to be effective in preventing significant visual impairment as well as being cost-effective.