Welcome to the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales (DRSSW)
The Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales (DRSSW) is an all Wales service designed to detect sight threatening diabetic retinopathy at an early stage before visual loss occurs, ensuring early treatment and preventing loss of vision in 70-90% of people with sight threatening diabetic retinopathy. The Service was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government in July 2002 as part of a risk reduction programme and an important element of delivering the Diabetes National Service Framework (NSF).
What Do We Do?
Every person who has diabetes and is registered with a GP in Wales is being called to a special screening set up to detect diabetic retinopathy. So that the service is easily accessible for everyone in Wales, mobile units with cameras on board visit sites in each Local Health Board area. They make regular visits to local NHS premises, making sure they are as close to the community as possible. A patient on average has 4 or 5 digital images of the eye taken after having their eyes dilated. The images are sent to the DRSSW where a team of graders are ready to assess them. All patients get their results, positive or negative. The graders may detect the possible presence of other eye disease, cataracts for example, and there is a system in place to refer patients to optometrists, or, if the graders and clinicians think there is urgency, to the hospital eye service.
Location
Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales
1 Fairway Court
Upper Boat
Treforest
Rhondda Cynon Taff
CF37 5UB
Tel: 01443 844244 (9.00am - 3.00pm, Monday - Friday)
Fax: 01443 843873
How to find us
From M4 Junction 32, follow A470 to Merthyr Tydfil. After approximately 5 miles take the exit signed Rhydyfelin, then at the roundabout take the third exit onto Gwaelod-Y-Garth Road. Cross the river bridge and follow onto Tonteg Road; we are the first building on the right hand side of the road.
Patient Information
For further information on diabetes and diabetic screening, the following websites are available:
Diabetes UK
Eye Care Wales
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes Specialist Library
