Home News Top Stories
Screening plan for diabetics
A PIONEERING new eye-screening programme for diabetic patients has been launched by a Birmingham hospital.
Heartlands Hospital, in Bordesley Green, is hoping to help save the sight of more than 85,000 patients.
Medics at the diabetic retinopathy screening centre started work on helping to prevent diabetics from going blind this week.
Diabetic retinopathy affects the small blood vessels in the retina and is the leading cause of blindness.
All diabetics will be offered an annual eye screening with a digital photograph taken of the back of the eye.
Depending on the level of eye damage, the patient will then either be recalled in a year or referred to an eye clinic.
Dr Margaret Clarke, consultant diabetologist at Heartlands Hospital, said: "Diabetes is expected to affect three million people in the UK by 2010. It causes damage to the small vessels at the back of the eye."
Copyright and Trade Mark Notice © 2008 owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror Midlands Limited. Birmingham Mail™ is a trade mark of Trinity Mirror Midlands Limited. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement before using this site.