Annual Optician Eye Tests

[StuartB]

I booked my annual eye test for March 2022. It has just been cancelled, because NHS has now changed annual eye tests to every other year! This seems strange for people with type 1 diabetes. What is the view from Diabetes UK? On a related note, I have been waiting for 3 years for a follow up for potential cataract issue. GP won’t follow up with Hospital, and Hospital say they have a waiting list. Yet they managed to call me on the telephone……which was pointless

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I have heard that the frequency for people with T1 who do not currently have retinopathy might be shifting to less frequently.

There’s some information here:

Diabetic eye screening

People living with diabetes should have a diabetic eye check — eye screening — as part of their diabetes checks. This is because diabetes can lead to eye problems, such as diabetic retinopathy. So if you are invited to a screening appointment it's really important to attend. A diabetic eye check...

www.diabetes.org.uk

And some studies here

Screening Intervals for Diabetic Retinopathy and Implications for Care - PMC

The purpose of this study is to review the evidence that lower risk groups who could safely be screened less frequently for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (DR) than annually. Data have demonstrated that people with no DR in either eye are at ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Frequency of Evidence-Based Screening for Retinopathy in Type 1 Diabetes - PMC

In patients who have had type 1 diabetes for 5 years, current recommendations regarding screening for diabetic retinopathy include annual dilated retinal examinations to detect proliferative retinopathy or clinically significant macular edema, both ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I missed a screening during the lockdowns, but have had one since.

 

[helli]

@StuartB are you referring to the diabetic retinal scan or a general eye test?

As @everydayupsanddowns mentioned, the frequency for the retinal scan has changed if you have no history of problems.

Witch Type 1 diabetes, we are entitled to free eye tests. Some time ago, I was told this need be no more frequent than every other year.

 

[trophywench]

My normal eyesight tests have been biennial for quite some time now, it isn't a new thing. As ever, if I experience any eyesight problems, the optician will more than happily fit me in - always with the caveat that if nowt has changed, they will charge me for the test. Never in my life have I ever had any prob being required to pay for eyesight tests ever since they first started charging for them, and still don't. It has just been a slight bonus that having diabetes made them free - I needed glasses before my diabetes arrived, and never qualified for free ones either as a teenager or since.

 

[pinkjude]

I booked my annual eye test for March 2022. It has just been cancelled, because NHS has now changed annual eye tests to every other year! This seems strange for people with type 1 diabetes. What is the view from Diabetes UK? On a related note, I have been waiting for 3 years for a follow up for potential cataract issue. GP won’t follow up with Hospital, and Hospital say they have a waiting list. Yet they managed to call me on the telephone……which was pointless

I rang the hospital and was told if your previous test result was good you will now be seen every 2 years so they can prioritise those who have problems and clear the back log caused by covid

 

[trophywench]

Stuart - have you rung the hospital? Do you get your eyes tested other than the retinal screening - because if so you can get your normal optician to check your cataracts - are they worse than before, is your eyesight still good enough to hold a driving licence? If it's getting tricky, get it done privately if you can't access NHS help. (Decades ago my MiL's NHS consultant asked her if she could afford to have one done privately, because the waiting list was so long (general anaesthetic in those days) which she could and did because he said if it wasn't done PDQ she'd be blind in that eye - then had the other done on the NHS in it's own time.

Now it takes a whole 20 minutes under local! (assuming no complications)

 

[janw]

I've only ever had two-yearly appointments since a child, although when I go tomorrow it will be after 18 months, at my optometrist's request, as he thought there might be the starting of a cataract in my left eye at my last visit (pre diabetes) - the sight is still the same as ever as far as I am aware, but tomorrow's check-up will show if there is any change. Of course I added that I was now a diabetic when I booked this appointment online, but no doubt that will gone into more fully (and they now can do further diabetic tests if you request them - for £10 - but I had my hospital screening a few months back, so there's no need). Keeping my fingers crossed that all will be good! 🙂

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I booked my annual eye test for March 2022. It has just been cancelled, because NHS has now changed annual eye tests to every other year! This seems strange for people with type 1 diabetes. What is the view from Diabetes UK? On a related note, I have been waiting for 3 years for a follow up for potential cataract issue. GP won’t follow up with Hospital, and Hospital say they have a waiting list. Yet they managed to call me on the telephone……which was pointless

In Bucks my optician told me the annual checks have been changed to every other year, because of cost saving and backlog recovery measures post Covid. That said they agreed to give me an annual check at NHS expense, recognising that I am insulin dependent and reporting vision distortion sometimes. They have a mechanism to do this - ticking (or unticking?) a box and making a remark somewhere in the paperwork.

If my GP wouldn't follow this up, I'd email politely and seek a written explanation, explaining that I needed written evidence to allow me to question that logic with the appropriate authority. I suspect that would open the first door! Likewise if the Hospital "triage" wouldn't give me a priority I'd escalate the request for a written explanation; again I suspect that might open the second door! It's unfortunate that sometimes one has to be politely robust and hint at escalation to get support. A relative recently elevated their longstanding medical problem to their MP; that worked.