Your invitation

Who is screened?

Everyone aged 12 or over, diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and registered with a doctor in Wales will be invited for a free diabetic eye screening test.

If your last two diabetic eye screenings found no sign of diabetic eye disease you will be screened every two years. This is because you are at low risk of diabetic eye disease. If diabetic eye disease was found you will be screened more often.

If you notice any changes in your eyesight contact your optician or doctors’ surgery. Do not wait for your next screening appointment.

People with the following conditions will not be invited:
•   Gestational diabetes, which is a temporary condition during pregnancy.
•   Pre-diabetes (also known as impaired glucose tolerance), which is a condition where you have higher than normal blood glucose levels.

Some people may be invited for diabetic eye screening who:
• May not benefit from screening.
• May not be able to attend and complete an appointment.
Talk to your health professional if you feel there would be no benefit to you attending diabetic eye screening.

Some people may not be able to take part in diabetic eye screening. Contact your local Optician who may be able to carry out home visits. Some Optometrists may provide a free visit, depending on your circumstances.

If you are being treated for diabetic retinopathy, you do not need to be screened. You will be re-invited once you have been discharged.

Diabetic retinopathy can develop at any time. It is important to talk with your optician or doctor if you notice any changes to your eyesight, even if you have recently been for diabetic eye screening.

How will I be invited?

If you have been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes your doctor will let us (Diabetic Eye Screening Wales) know. We will send you an invitation letter with a date and time for an appointment, each time you are due for diabetic eye screening. Your appointment may be at any of the screening centres below. Contact us if you want to change the time, date and venue of the appointment.

Screening centres for diabetic eye screening

You can find directions to the venues below. Do not send any letters to these addresses. If you would like to get in touch you can do this by contacting us.

You may also be screened in a hospital, mobile clinic or community clinic.

It is important that your doctor has your correct name, address and telephone number, otherwise we may not be able to send your appointment letter to you.

If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, it may take up to 12 weeks before you get an invitation letter.

If you have not received an invitation letter after 12 weeks contact your doctor’s surgery to let them know.

What if I need extra support?

Understanding the information

If you, or a person you support needs help to understand or read the information we have sent you, Contact us before the appointment. We can provide you with information in different formats. For more information you may want to visit our Accessible resource page.

Going for my appointment

If you, or a person you support needs extra help going for screening, Contact us before your appointment if you:
•   Need an interpreter because Welsh or English is not your first language.
•   Have a disability, so we can make sure we offer you an accessible appointment.
•   You think you might not be able to sit in the right position at our cameras

• You have Power of Attorney for health and welfare for the person invited, you will need to bring ID and the Power of Attorney document to their appointment.
• You are caring for someone who cannot make decisions.

Travelling to my appointment

You will not be able to drive after your appointment as the eye drops may cause your eyesight to become blurry for up to 6 hours. You will need to arrange a lift or use public transport.

If your appointment is at a health care setting and you think you are eligible for help travelling to your appointment, you can contact Patient Transport Services at your local hospital. They may be able to help you.

Contact us if you cannot attend your appointment. We may be able to offer you a more suitable time, date and location.
Diabetic eye screening appointments are limited. Let us know if you are not planning to attend; we can offer your appointment to someone else.

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