People with diabetes in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin now have even more choice about where they can receive their routine diabetic eye screening.
The service, which is provided by Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has just taken delivery of three specially designed and equipped vans which will be taking screening out to local communities.
Diabetic eye screening is a key part of diabetes care. People with diabetes are at risk of damage from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to sight loss if it is not treated. Screening is a way of detecting the condition early before a person notices any changes to their vision.
Screening is currently offered in a range of locations across the two counties including health centres and GP practices however the team are aware that particularly in some rural areas it is not always easy to get to appointments. The new vans will be able to visit smaller communities and places where there isn’t a suitable host building.
Dr Andrew Brown, the Clinical Lead for the service said: “We try to be as responsive as possible and some of our customers have told us they find it difficult to access this important screening as our existing centres are too far away or difficult to travel to. Our new vans have all the latest equipment and will enable screeners to take the service out and about to more people.”
People who spot one of the vans may notice that they have their own names. Staff needed a way to refer to the different vans and held a ballot to choose what they should be called. The winning names are Cornelius, Iris and Hazel!
