England based eye screening news

Anna DUK

Anna DUK

Online Community Team Leader
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At risk of diabetes
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good news im all for it
 
I haven't yet got my head around the different scans. I was diagnosed in July and got a letter with an appointment for December in a supermarket car park to the north of my local city last month. I have postponed the exam till April. I will eventually change it to a more convenient location. However I have occasional anterior uveitis and when I have a flare I go to the hospital. As a result of steroid eye drops I have cataracts forming and was referred in March for an op. I'm short sighted and the cataracts are making me more short sighted. In fact the consultant in August said the combination of cataract and my stuck down pupils means she couldn't see the back of my eye. I had an operation on 31 October but it has caused my uveitis to flare. I had to put drops in every hour though now down to 4 x a day. I see a consultant in the retinal clinic and assume the photos I have taken may be the same ones I would have for diabetes.
 
I had one in Specsavers this Year. Cost 5 pounds.
 
I have been paying for this extra scan at specsavers for years already and will continue to do so
 
saffron15 said:
I was diagnosed in July and got a letter with an appointment for December in a supermarket car park to the north of my local city last month. I have postponed the exam till April. I will eventually change it to a more convenient location.
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it’s really important to attend these scans ASAP. I’m shocked that you’ve postponed it for so long, by April it will be likely at least a year since you developed diabetes without having any damage done before you were diagnosed picked up.

These retinopathy scans are often in odd locations, mine is in a church, you don’t get a choice of venues usually it’s just whatever space they’ve managed to get to run them near you.

You really do need to go to it ASAP, especially since you already have various eye problems.
 
Lucyr said:
it’s really important to attend these scans ASAP. I’m shocked that you’ve postponed it for so long, by April it will be likely at least a year since you developed diabetes without having any damage done before you were diagnosed picked up.

These retinopathy scans are often in odd locations, mine is in a church, you don’t get a choice of venues usually it’s just whatever space they’ve managed to get to run them near you.

You really do need to go to it ASAP, especially since you already have various eye problems.
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Totally agree with you, mine is at a hotel, before COVID it was at a library. My optician also always does extra scans.
 
Lucyr said:
it’s really important to attend these scans ASAP. I’m shocked that you’ve postponed it for so long, by April it will be likely at least a year since you developed diabetes without having any damage done before you were diagnosed picked up.

These retinopathy scans are often in odd locations, mine is in a church, you don’t get a choice of venues usually it’s just whatever space they’ve managed to get to run them near you.

You really do need to go to it ASAP, especially since you already have various eye problems.
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I don't think you have read @saffron15 's post in full. If the consultant could not see the retina, there is no way the scan photos would have been clear enough.
I was in a very similar position, and did not know my retinopathy grading for about 4 years.
After my retinopathy scan in Jan/Feb 2020 I was told that developing cataracts meant the photos were not clear enough. Appointment given for April at ophthalmology to use slit lamp technique - but this was cancelled because of Covid. They obviously decided from a telephone appointment that I wasn't urgent so it was 2 years before I was seen, by which time my sight was much impaired (couldn't renew driving licence, reading a number plate would have been more like 2 metres than 20), and the retina could not be seen even with the slit-lamp. The letter sent to GP gave the status for both eyes for retinopathy and maculopathy as 'Ungradeable'. I would have given a lot at that point for the scary letter for background retinopathy.

I cancelled 3 years of scan appointments - what would have been the point? The photos would have been more and more blurry and totally useless.

My pupils were also stuck down, though initially the consultant said I had very small pupils, which would make removing the cataracts very difficult and high risk.
 
@Lucyr I didn't suggest putting off till April I just explained the time table of ops. They did mutter about the hospital. I wasn't sure how the cataract surgery and probable uveitis flare was going to affect the screening. I pay extra at opticians for screening. Last one in November when I'm sure i was diabetic but didn't know. I've done this because they used to not take photos at eye clinic. I had photos when I had a flare at end of 2020 but when I had a flare in 2023 the photographer wasn't there and I didn't get a follow up. Although consultant in August said she couldn't see back of my eye I don't know if she meant physically with a slit lamp or if the scans didn't show the back. I had scans and saw a consultant in the retinal clinic three weeks before op and scans and consultant four days later. I assume the scans could be checked for retinopathy I will ask when I return in January as I'm on steroid eye drops there is no point going to the opticians and I still hope I can have an op on the other eye soon.
I realise the eye checks are important but if there was an apparent problem with the scan I would be referred to the retinal clinic. I passed a spec savers dvla test in June.
 
silentsquirrel said:
I don't think you have read @saffron15 's post in full. If the consultant could not see the retina, there is no way the scan photos would have been clear enough.
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I have read it. It was August that the consultant couldn’t see it which is a long time who and also only one retina is mentioned, most of us have two eyes and both need checking. If the diabetic screening pictures aren’t clear enough they’ll put you on a recall list to try again in the future. If you just cancel the appointments you risk being removed from the screening list for not attending.
 
saffron15 said:
I passed a spec savers dvla test in June.
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This is not the same test as the one done at the diabetes screening, its not checking the same things.
 
Lucyr said:
I have read it. It was August that the consultant couldn’t see it which is a long time who and also only one retina is mentioned, most of us have two eyes and both need checking. If the diabetic screening pictures aren’t clear enough they’ll put you on a recall list to try again in the future. If you just cancel the appointments you risk being removed from the screening list for not attending.
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Cancelled as in rang them and explained why it would be pointless and asked them to defer it.
 
Anna DUK said:
I think you're probably explaining this:

to @saffron15 😉. Is that right @Lucyr?
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Correct, the other poster with similar letters in the name keeps mixing themselves up with OP though which is getting somewhat confusing!
 
Lucyr said:
Correct, the other poster with similar letters in the name keeps mixing themselves up with OP though which is getting somewhat confusing!
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It was my post you replied to. (post#13)
 
Lucyr said:
Correct, the other poster with similar letters in the name keeps mixing themselves up with OP though which is getting somewhat confusing!
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Both 'S' display pics are the same colours for @silentsquirrel and @saffron15 so it did make me double check too. (Is it a good time to ask you both to add a picture? Doesn't have to be of your faces 😉). Plus, @Lucyr given I started the thread, I'm technically the OP, which then made me do another check :rofl:
 
Sorry, Anna, even if I wanted a picture I don't have the IT skills to do that.
 
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