Diabetic eye screening: programme overview
An overview of the NHS diabetic eye screening (DES) programme, its services and contact information.
Applies to England
Information for the public about diabetic eye screening (DES) screening is available on the NHS website and in the below videos.
Female lifetime screening pathway
Male lifetime screening pathway
It is an individual’s choice whether or not to have screening. People can opt out if they do not want to receive screening invitations.
The NHS is committed to reducing inequalities and variation in screening participation to help make sure everyone has fair and equal access to screening services.
NHS England provides information about data use and patient confidentiality in population screening programmes.
Target population
Everyone with diabetes who is 12 years old or over is invited for eye screening. If diabetic retinopathy was not found at your last 2 tests, you’ll be invited every 2 years. Everyone else will be screened at more regular intervals.
Condition screened for
A range of eye problems can affect people with diabetes. One of these conditions is diabetic retinopathy.
This is a complication of diabetes, which is caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina). Diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness if it is left undiagnosed and untreated.
The NHS website has more information, including:
- the stages of diabetic retinopathy
- treatment
- prevention
Diabetic eye screening test
The DES test usually lasts about 30 minutes.
There are several parts to the test. They are:
- Reading letters on a chart.
- Having eye drops put into each eye.
- A photo taken of the back of the eyes.
Evidence base
Diabetic eye screening is one of 11 NHS national population screening programmes available in England.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) makes recommendations to ministers in the 4 UK countries on all aspects of population screening. It ensures that screening provides more benefit than harm, at a reasonable cost to the NHS.
Recommendations are based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review process.
Read the UK NSC recommendation on DES.
Data and intelligence
NHS England collects routine data to monitor the uptake of DES.
Requests for screening data and research
The DES programme has its own research advisory committee.
PHE has terms of reference for NHS population screening programme research advisory committees.
Commissioning
NHS England publishes the DES pathway requirements specification, which provides an overview of DES screening by describing what should happen at each stage of the end-to-end pathway. Providers and commissioners should use this to ensure high quality and consistent screening services.
DES screening commissioners should use the supporting documents to ensure a fit for purpose programme is set up and meets the required standards.
Quality assurance
The role of the screening quality assurance service (SQAS) is to:
- assess the quality of local screening programmes
- monitor compliance with standards
- support services with improving quality
- undertake regional level quality assurance visits
The programme specific operating model for quality assurance of the DES screening programme should be read in conjunction with the operating model for PHE screening quality assurance service and the relevant programme standards.
Workforce – education and training
Education and training resources are available for healthcare professionals working in DES screening.
There are also more general resources about population screening to support screening professionals in their initial training and continuing professional development (CPD).
Keep up to date
Keep up to date with what is new in the programme, including the latest guidance and good practice.
You can register to get updates on the NHS diabetic eye screening programme direct to your inbox. Follow the instructions to get emails about the pages you are interested in.
Contact the screening team
NHS England screening
Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8UG
Read our leaflet on diabetic eye screening and find out how to request alternative formats on GOV.UK.
We cannot help with media enquiries or access screening results.
Updates to this page
Last updated 8 July 2024 + show all updates
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Replaced PHE information with NHS England contact details.
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Interval for DES screening in the Target Population section has been updated to reflect how often you're invited depends on your last 2 screening results.
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Added lifetime screening pathway videos.
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Updated wording relating to staff training.
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First published.