National programme

The NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme aims to reduce the risk of sight loss among people with diabetes by the early detection and treatment, if needed, of sight-threatening retinopathy. Around 90 local programmes deliver screening across England.

Use the menu on the left to find out more about the way screening is delivered.

Local programmes are accountable to the national programme and submit an annual report containing general information about the service offered and information to support an assessment against the national Service Objectives and Quality Assurance Standards.

Local programmes can submit their annual reports via the password-protected Extranet pages of this website. If you work for a local programme and do not have access to the Extranet, please email us   

Structure and delivery

The NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme is co-ordinated and led from the NHS Adult (non-cancer) Screening Programmes Centre in Gloucester.

Screening is delivered locally in line with national quality standards and protocols. Each local cprogramme co-ordinates screening for its population and organises invitation letters, screening clinics, results letters and referrals to eye departments.

The local screening programmes inform GPs when people are invited for screening and when they send their screening results.