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A new diabetic eye screening clinic has opened at St Catherine's Health Centre in Birkenhead.
As reported by Birkenhead News, the new clinic is run by Wirral University Teaching Hospital as part of its Wirral Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. The clinic offers appointments for anyone aged 12 and over who has been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
According to figures from the first three months, the clinic is reaching high numbers of people who have never had their eyes screened before, as well as those who've had to stop attending appointments. Some patients have been referred for further assessment or monitoring.
Kirsty Jackson, optometrist at the clinic, said diabetic eye disease often has no symptoms in its early stages, making regular screening the only way to catch problems before they affect vision.
"We're seeing people who haven't attended diabetic eye screening for several years, often for a variety of reasons, and we're identifying diabetic eye disease that can now be referred for treatment before it has a significant impact on vision," she said.
She added that sometimes by the time vision is affected, some damage has already occurred, so treatment is "less effective". Screening is important for this reason, as changes are spotted quickly, when they are more manageable through diabetes control, monitoring and intervention where needed.
Albert Armour, 67, from Prenton, who has lived with type 2 diabetes for a couple of years, was impressed with the service. Because he drives for a living, regular eye checks are a requirement for his work.
The clinic offers free parking for up to three hours for those accompanying patients, and is accessible by several bus routes. Patients can book appointments by phone, choosing a time that suits them.
Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said: "By providing greater choice through community-based locations, we can make it easier for people to access appointments and help tackle health inequalities across the local area.
"We would urge anyone living with diabetes to take up their screening invitation to help protect their vision."
This is not the only programme that has been introduced recently by WUTH to help with diabetes. The hospital has also introduced a programme to help type 1 diabetics with confidence. The programme focuses on the emotional impact of diagnosis rather than the technical side. People are given education on how to manage symptoms and how to cope with the long-term effects of the disease.
The programme also reported similar benefits to the eye clinic, seeing increased confidence in managing diabetes and reduced anxiety, specifically related to diabetes-oriented stress.
