The AOP and the College of Optometrists held a joint one-day conference on 13th January in Birmingham to consider the future of retinopathy screening in the wake of the NSF for diabetes.
It was attended by LOC delegates, Optometric Advisers, PCT & SHA administrators and individual optometrists with a keen interest in diabetic screening. The meeting was chaired by David Cartwright from the College of Optometrists and presentations were made by Richard Broughton on behalf of the College and Trevor Warburton and Lyndon Taylor, on behalf of the AOP. Mr Peter Scanlon, the National Co-ordinator for the Diabetic Retinopathy Programme also gave a presentation, as did Linda Garvican, the National Quality Assurance Lead for the new retinal screening programme. The slides of the presentations can be viewed in the pdf documents below.
A working spreadsheet of a financial model, as set out in Lyndon Taylor's presentation, to help you calculate the costs of screening, is also available.
The AOP has set up an email discussion forum on diabetic retinopathy screening. It is a closed list, so if you wish to participate you need to contact David Craig (davidcraig@assoc-optometrists.org) at the AOP and ask to be put on the list.
Useful links for information on diabetic screening:
Go to diabetes in the primary care section
Information on NHSNet can be found under NHSnet on the AOP site in the primary care section
This is the link for the National Screening Committee of the NSF. This has information on cameras, software, grading, costings etc.
This is the website of Diabetes UK
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/Diabetes/fs/en
This website gives details of the National Service Framework for Diabetes.
