The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) has asked the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, to confirm whether an eye screening programme that had been planned for the west is going ahead this year.

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious eye disease, which if left untreated, can lead to blindness. It is currently the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment among adults in developed countries.

It is always associated with diabetes, and the longer a person has the condition, the higher their chances of developing the disease. Around 2% of all people who have had diabetes for at least 15 years can expect to become blind, while a further 10% will develop severe visual impairment.

However, undergoing an eye examination once a year can make all the difference. If complications in the eye are detected at an early stage, further damage can be prevented.

The diabetic retinopathy screening programme was approved by the Department of Health in 2007, with a commitment that it would be rolled out in 2009. Due to funding cutbacks, its commencement date was postponed until the end of this year.

According to the NCBI chief executive, Des Kenny, the organisation received a letter from Minister Harney in November 2009 stating that the programme would be up and running in the HSE West area ‘before the end of 2010’.

“Unfortunately, we have yet to gain a firm commitment on when the screening will commence this year, or when it will be rolled out to other parts of the country. We urge the Minister to stick to this deadline in an effort to prevent further avoidable sight loss,” Mr Kenny said.

Commenting on the issue, leading ophthalmologist, Prof Colm O’Brien of the Mater Hospital in Dublin, pointed out that diabetes-related eye disease is on the increase and regular screening is the best way to prevent avoidable sight loss.

“Diabetes can affect the eye in a number of ways and usually involves the fine network of blood vessels in the retina, which can become blocked, forcing new blood vessels to form. These blood vessels are prone to bleeding or leaking, leading to the formation of scar tissue in the eye, which damages eyesight,” he explained.

He noted that in most cases, sight loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented, ‘but it is vital that the condition is diagnosed early so that it can be managed’.

“Diabetes affects about one in 20 Irish adults, with as many as half that number undiagnosed. While most people know that diabetes can cause serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and amputation, few people are aware that diabetes may also lead to blindness,” Prof O’Brien added.

According to the NCBI, it is estimated that a nationwide diabetic retinopathy screening programme would cost the State €4 million, ‘but the Minister also needs to consider the cost implications of failing to implement such a prevention plan’.

It emphasised that regular eye checks are essential for people with diabetes as a person may not realise there is a problem until they notice a change in their vision, by which point the damage may have already been done.