Jersey diabetics offered free eye checks

Screening checks involve taking a "variety of 2D and 3D images of the back of the eye to look for diabetic changes"

People with diabetes in Jersey are being "urged" to attend free eye tests.

Health and Community Services (HCS) said there were about 4,500 islanders with diabetes who were eligible for the screening.

It said diabetic retinopathy was "one of the top five causes of blindness and sight loss" in the developed world.

Sarah Evans, general manager at HCS, said diabetic retinopathy was "largely preventable".

"Regular screening can identify changes before you know they are happening and treat them before they become sight threatening," she said.

The diabetic retinal screening team said it carried out about 5,000 free screening tests per year, offering examinations in Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.

It said if diabetic changes were found at the back of the eye, patients would be referred to ophthalmology for further treatment, or kept at the surveillance clinic for further checks.

The clinic was set up in 2021 to lessen the number of patients referred to ophthalmology.

HCS said patients referred to ophthalmology had been "cut by more than 90%".

"If you have friends or loved ones who are diabetic, please encourage them to attend and protect their sight... this test is not the same as an optician assessment," Ms Evans said.

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