DIABETES UK'S YOUR VISION CAMPAIGN AND ACCESS TO RETINAL SCREENING

Early day motion 57, tabled 3 December 2008 by Adrian Sanders (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 78 members.

That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK's campaign Your Vision; recognises that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK working age population; considers that all people with diabetes should have access to free annual retinal screening with a digital camera and that each primary care trust should have a systematic call and recall system to ensure that people with diabetes receive an annual letter inviting them for screening; notes with concern that Government targets, of all people with diabetes being offered free digital retinal screening by the end of 2007, were not met and as a result one in four, up to 470,000, people with diabetes in England, are needlessly being put at risk of losing their sight; further notes that retinal screening is one of the most cost-effective interventions known in medicine, with 90 per cent. of cases of retinopathy being treatable with early intervention; and calls on the Government to ensure that primary care trusts put in place the appropriate facilities and allocate the necessary budget to their screening programme to prevent people with diabetes from needlessly losing their sight.

Signatures by party: Labour 33, Liberal Democrat 25, Conservative 6, DUP 6, Independent 5, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Plaid Cymru 1.