Written answers

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Department of Health

Health Screening Programmes

9:00 pm

Photo of Ciarán LynchCiarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 663: To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the development of the national retinopathy screening programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15362/12]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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In 2006 the Department of Health and Children made a number of policy guidance recommendations on the model of care, and services for people with diabetes and recommended a structured diabetic retinopathy screening programme as a priority.

The HSE has stated that screening, followed by treatment of sight threatening retinopathy, has been shown to be effective. Effective treatment of diabetic retinopathy may include laser photocoagulation or vitrectomy. Of the population screened and treated, 6 per cent are prevented from going blind within a year of treatment and 34 per cent within ten years of treatment. In addition, the costs of preventing blindness through screening for retinopathy are much lower than those for treatment of advanced lesions.

The national programme will be a population-based, call-recall programme of screening for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy, delivered on an annual basis. Screening will be by digital photography and will be offered to people with diagnosed diabetes, aged 12 years and over, registered with the programme. The programme will be delivered locally and provided to the highest, internationally comparable, quality assured standards.

The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) was requested by the HSE National Directorate of Clinical Strategy and Programmes in 2011 to commence the planning and development of a national diabetic retinopathy screening programme. The NCSS has experience in developing population health based screening programmes and manages the BreastCheck and CervicalCheck programmes. The screening model proposed by the NCSS and agreed with the HSE National Directorate of Clinical Strategy and Programmes is one that is largely contract based and reliant on third party service providers.

The HSE's National Service Plan 2012 commits to continuing the implementation of the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme. I have asked the NCSS to provide my Department with commencement dates as soon as possible and I remain confident in the HSE's commitment to this programme.

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