Over 70,000 people with diabetes have had their eyes screened as part of Diabetic Retina Screen (the National Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme), since it began in 2013.

The aim of this programme is to prevent vision problems and blindness due to the eye disease, diabetic retinopathy, which is a common complication of diabetes.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO), eye surgeon, Mr David Keegan, who is also clinical director of Diabetic Retina Screen, noted that uptake for the programme ‘is showing an upwardly trend'.

"It is increasing month on month, with an average of between 700 and 1,000 new names being added to the register. In the first round of screening, more than 70,000 people have been screened in over 100 locations since the programme commenced in 2013," he pointed out.

He described it as ‘very positive' that more and more people are consenting to be involved.

The programme offers regular screening and treatment of diabetic retinopathy to all people with diabetes over the age of 12 free of charge.

An estimated 191,000 people in Ireland have diabetes and this is projected to increase to 233,000 by 2020. People with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at risk from this eye disease, which can lead to blindness.

Some 153,000 people are currently registered with the programme, all of whom have received a letter inviting them to be screened.

"Diabetic retinopathy may not have any symptoms or may not affect sight in the early stages. The national screening programme will reduce sight loss among people with diabetes as a result of early detection and effective treatment and we urge people to make their appointment for screening when they receive their letter of invitation," Mr Keegan said.

Currently in Ireland, five people go blind every single week and diabetic retinopathy is one of the five main causes of vision loss in this country. It is the leading cause of blindness among people of working age, however up to 75% of cases of blindness are preventable with early diagnosis and treatment.

Mr Keegan added that since the introduction of a similar screening programme in the UK, diabetic retinopathy ‘is no longer the leading cause of blindness in the working age population in England'.

The ICO conference took place in Westport, Co Mayo.

For more information on Diabetic Retina Screen, click here