Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 April 2014
836. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health when the national diabetic retinal screening programme began screening; the targets for numbers to be screened; the number of persons who have been screened to date by each screening organisation; the number of appointments made for screening at each screening organisation that did not subsequently take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19193/14]
View answerDiabetic RetinaScreen, the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme, commenced screening at the end of February 2013. The HSE National Clinical Programme on Diabetes estimate there are 190,000 diabetics in Ireland. The Diabetic RetinaScreen register currently has 147,000 people. The programme is firmly on target to meet its HSE Service Plan commitment that all clients on the Diabetic RetinaScreen register will be invited by the end of 2014. At the end of March 2014, over 72,000 have been invited to participate. Those who have been invited are currently dispersed at the various steps of the screening pathway, including consent, appointment, screening, results and possible treatment. As with all call, re-call population-based screening programmes in Ireland and in other jurisdictions, statistical data cannot be accurately calculated until after the end of the screening round. This is to ensure that all those invited and at the various stages of their screening journey have been accounted for with a final outcome, which will include those who did not attend.
