CONTENTS
COMMENT
A Year in Retinal Screening
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Chairman’s Report
4
Kirsty Moseley Completes Challenge
6
Message from Paediatrics
7
The O’Haire Family Raise over £6,000 Le Gallais Real Estate’s Generous Donation 600 Application Form Dine4Diabetes 2021 Forthcoming Events N2S Walk 2022 Application
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A YEAR IN RETINAL SCREENING - 2021
Spring Newsletter
It would be, perhaps, a little too optimistic to state that as Spring marches on, our lives are very nearly back to normal although that a fourth vaccination against you-knowwhat is available for certain groups implies that you-know-what hasn’t actually gone away! As I stated in the Autumn 2021 newsletter it is likely that you-know-what, just like the flu, will be with us from now on as a fact of living. I tried, in this introductory paragraph, not to mention Covid by name and almost succeeded. We reported in the Autumn newsletter that it had been confirmed that there would be a diabetes centre in the new hospital but since there are still many obstacles to be overcome (and more seem to become apparent every week) before that hospital becomes a reality (wherever it might be), for the time being the current Diabetes Centre stays where is it, although it would seem that there will still be a move in due course to the former Les Quennevais School. A thought from the famous actress the late Ingrid Bergman: “Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” Keep well and keep safe. Peter Tabb Editor peteretabb@gmail.com
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes affecting the eyes and is one of the top five causes of blindness and sight loss in both the working age population and developed world. Retinal screening of patients with diabetes has been shown to reduce the risk of sight loss by allowing prompt identification and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. There are approximately 4,500 patients with diabetes in Jersey. This number is increasing, in keeping with the international rise of this disease.
Over the last 12 months the Jersey Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme has gained traction and fully launched. As a result the number of patients referred to ophthalmology from the service has been reduced by over 90% and wait times for our diabetic patients have reduced significantly. The RSP has also started repatriating patients from ophthalmology’s digital surveillance clinic. All these factors result in both cost and medical time savings for Jersey Health, along with improved outcomes for patients.
Retinal screening programmes (RSP) are described as complex compared with other screening programmes. This is due to various factors - including that entry onto the programme is predicated by a clinical diagnosis rather than an age, also that patients will require screening for their entire lives - and the service needs to make provision for these factors. In addition, the monitoring of any retinopathy may transfer between ophthalmology and RSP numerous times over the years. A RSP has a variety of possible outcomes, including surveillance pathways rather than a more distinct yes/no outcome. A robust RSP reduces the number of patients that need to enter ophthalmology by keeping them within the RSP until the point of treatment.
The RSP appointed a programme manager and clinical lead in March and a specialist optometrist in July. The appointment of these staff members ensured that strong governance was developed and maintained. The RSP adheres to most guidance by Public Health England (PHE), whilst taking advantage of being our own jurisdiction to make upgrades to our programme and develop a surveillance programme.
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