With diabetes being the leading cause of blindness in people of working age in the UK, locals are invited to attend a free health seminar at Heartlands Hospital to hear about the importance of diabetic eye screening.

The Hospital’s clinical lead for diabetic retinopathy, Dr Margaret Clarke, will be taking to the floor on 22 January to offer information and advice about retinal eye disease and answer any questions about the region’s screening programme.

Margaret explains: “Regular eye screening can detect early diabetic eye changes aiding swift diagnosis and timely treatment where appropriate before sight is affected. This is when treatment is most successful, but unfortunately one in five diabetes patients in the region do not have these vital screenings. It is especially important for those from the south Asian community to attend screenings as they are four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. I would encourage anyone interested in finding out more about diabetic retinopathy and the screening process to attend this seminar.”

Seminar organiser, membership and community engagement manager, Sandra White, said: “We hope people will come along to the talk and leave feeling a knowledgeable about retinal eye screening. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask our specialist screening team questions and to discuss their own thoughts and experiences. The Hospital is committed to educating the public about their health.”

The seminar is taking place on Tuesday 22 January at 5pm in the Education Centre at Heartlands Hospital. To book your place or to find out details of the Hospital’s future health seminars, contact Sandra White on 0121 424 1218 or email sandra.white@heartofengland.nhs.uk.