Diabetic eye screening

If you have diabetes you may be at risk of developing eye problems called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can cause sight loss if it's not treated.

Diabetic eye screening checks your eyes for problems, often before you notice any changes in your sight. Finding and treating diabetic retinopathy early can reduce and prevent damage to your eyes and sight loss.

If you have diabetes and you're aged 12 or over, you'll get a letter every 1 or 2 years asking you to have diabetic eye screening.

The letter inviting you for diabetic eye screening will tell you how to book the test.

You may be offered a choice of when and where you can get it.

You’ll usually be invited for diabetic eye screening every year, or every 2 years if your last 2 tests were clear.

You will not be able to drive after diabetic eye screening, as your eyesight may be blurry for a few hours. It’s important to plan your route to and from the test.

You may want to ask someone to come to your appointment with you, or ask them to collect you after. You may also want to bring sunglasses as everything may look bright for a few hours after the test.

Your diabetic eye screening appointment will last around 30 minutes.

1. You'll be asked to read some letters on a chart.
2. You'll have eye drops put in your eyes to make your pupils larger. These may sting for a few seconds and will make your sight blurry.
3. When the drops start working, you'll be asked to look into a camera.
4. Photographs will be taken of the back of your eyes. There will be a bright flash when a picture is taken.

You can go home when the test is finished. You will not get your test result on the day.

The photographs of your eye will be sent to an expert to be reviewed.

Diabetic eye screening is a common and safe test.

Rarely, the eye drops can cause an increase to the pressure in your eye. This is called acute glaucoma and needs to be treated straight away.

Go back to the screening centre or go to A&E if:

You'll usually get a letter telling you the results of your diabetic eye screening within 6 weeks of the test.

You result letter should tell you what your result means, and what happens next. Sometimes the pictures of your eyes may not be clear enough to give a result. If this happens, you'll be asked to have another test.

There are 3 types of diabetic eye screening result.

Talk to your GP surgery if you do not get your diabetic eye screening result letter within 6 weeks.

• GOV.UK has more information about diabetic eye screening, including an easy read guide and guides in other languages
• DiABETES UK: Diabetic eye screening
• Diabetic retinopathy