Summary of key statistics for Diabetic Eye Screening Wales by health board

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Next update expected:September 2026

Updates

3rd February 2026

Some data relating to Diabetic Eye Screening Wales have been revised as of February 2026. Public Health Wales provided additional retrospective data for 2023-24 and 2024-25 on screening results for low-risk recall participants as these results only recently became available. The data originally published on 30 September 2025 has been updated to include these revised data, resulting in large changes to the number of results reported and to the number of patients with no retinopathy. See the 2024-25 statistical report for further information.

30th September 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider
Diabetic Eye Screening Wales (DESW)
Data source
No specific source from data provider
Time period covered
March 2014 to March 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

This dataset provides a summary of key statistics from the Diabetic Eye Screening Wales (DESW) programme. It is broken down by Local Health Board and financial year, and includes measures such as patient coverage, activity, and screening outcomes. The dataset gives an overview of how diabetic eye screening services are delivered across Wales and how activity and outcomes vary between regions and over time.

Data collection or calculation

Aggregated counts of patients are derived from patient records and used as information to manage the DESW and have been provided for this statistical release. No data relating to individual patients has been transferred in this process. When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes by a GP, a referral is sent to DESW and the patient is registered and invited for screening. Screening is carried out in a mobile unit or healthcare sites. Patient information, including retinal images, is stored on the DESW database.

DESW validates the database monthly against the Welsh Demographic Service to ensure that it is aligned with living Welsh residents. Total counts are also routinely validated against GP diabetes disease registers.

The different outcomes in the dataset are determined by the ‘worst grade’ code assigned at each diabetic eye screening. This code identifies the extent of retinopathy. All screenings, including those with unreported outcomes, are counted to produce the total ‘results reported’.

This data is then combined with figures for eligible patients, new registrations, and scheduled appointments—each provided at the health board level—to generate the final dataset.

When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes by a GP a referral is sent to DESW and the patient is registered and invited for screening. Screening is carried out in a mobile unit or healthcare sites. Patient information, including retinal images, is stored on the DESW database.

DESW validates the database monthly against the Welsh Demographic Service to ensure that it is aligned with living Welsh residents. Total counts are also routinely validated against GP diabetes disease registers. Note that there are small amounts of missing data within some fields of the DESW statistics. Percentages are calculated of records with stated values. The outcomes of a number of screenings were ungradeable in each year (usually between 2,000 and 3,000).

1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. For more information see the joint statement from Cwm Taf and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards (see weblinks). The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morganwg University Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board becoming Swansea Bay University Health Board. A link to the statement from the minister for health and social service can be found in the weblinks section.

Statistical quality

For some years, all screenings with severe retinopathy/maculopathy were urgently referred to hospital eye services and so the numbers for both categories are the same. ‘Urgent referral to ophthalmology for other lesions’ is distinct and occurs when the grader observes a non-diabetic area of concern. Note that there are small amounts of missing data within some fields of the DESW statistics. Percentages are calculated of records with stated values. The ‘results reported’ total represents the number of screenings conducted each year. This total includes outcomes that were ungradeable (usually between 2,000 and 3,000), and may count some patients more than once if they were screened multiple times within the same year.

On 1 April 2019, health service responsibility for Bridgend residents moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. Health board names also changed: Cwm Taf became Cwm Taf Morgannwg, and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg became Swansea Bay. See the weblinks section for official statements.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales