Agenda item

Audrey Howarth, Screening & Immunisation Manager and the Clinical Lead Mr. Hashmi will be in attendance.

Audrey Howarth, Screening and Immunisation Manager, North East Diabetic Eye Screening and Mr. Hashmi, Clinical Lead, North East Diabetic Eye Screening attended the meeting to provide members with an update with regards to recent changes to the North east diabetic eye screening programme.  The update contained the following information:

In September 2015 following patient and public engagement including the JOSC, NHS England  agreed to the North East  Diabetic Eye Screening( DESP) changing it’s screening site locations to 12

Diabetic eye screening is one of several regular assessments which people with diabetes should have. This is currently offered every 12 months to all patients. Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnershipis responsible for commissioning the service and this is provided by the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust

Patient and Public Engagement was undertaken in the summer of 2015 and following the review it was agreed to increase the number of sites available to 12 , 6 static sites which would screen all the year and 6 sites which would use the new additional camera purchased by Pennine Acute Trust to offer screening at the locations agreed, during a 12 month cycle.

The NEMDESP provides screening from 6 fixed sites these are:

·                     Rochdale Infirmary

·                     Croft Shifa Health Centre

·                     Oldham Integrated Care Centre

·                     Royton Health and Wellbeing Centre

·                     Moorgate Centre

·                     Radcliffe Primary Centre

The service is rotating the new camera to sites based in the following locations; Heywood, Middleton, Failsworth, Glodwick, Uppermill/Saddleworth area and Prestwich. Implementation began in early November 2015.

In addition to the increase in screening locations, the NE DESP has undertaken a series of targeted work over the past 12 months, to raise awareness of the importance of screening and to increase screening uptake.

Questions were invited from those present and the following issues were raised:

Concerns were raised in respect of the new camera situated in Uppermill/Saddleworth, Member’s reported that he wasn’t aware of any cameras operating in this area.  The Clinical Lead reported that there were problems with access to the site in Uppermill and gave an assurance to provide a more detailed response to the Joint Committee.

In respect of the eye drops that the patients have to administer as part of the review process, the Clinical Lead reported that national guidance states patients must not drive for 4/5 hours after the procedure.

The Screening and Immunisation Manager reported that the screening invite letter advises patients that there are different sites that patients are able to attend, in Rochdale there are several sites; Littleborough, Milnrow, Castleton and Rochdale Infirmary.

Members raised concerns in respect of a take up rate of less than 80%.  The Clinical Lead reported that the Diabetic eye screening is undertaken on an annual basis, with those that are more unstable, monitored more frequently.

In response to a Member’s question the Screening and Immunisation Manager reported that if all patients that if take up was to increase to 100% there would be sufficient capacity in the system to deal with such an increase.  A text message reminder service has also been introduced to increase patients attendance.

It was agreed:

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Officer would liaise with the Screening and Immunisation Officer and provide members of the Joint Committee with and update in respect of the Camera in Saddleworth/Uppermill.