The records of 3,800 diabetes patients at an Essex health trust are being urgently reviewed amid fears that the results of sight tests they underwent might have errors.

Local newspaper the Daily Gazette reports that NHS North East Essex closed the service in July, saying that it was because improvements were being made to the service and that it would re-open within weeks.

However, local reporters have found that the trust is reviewing tests on patients with a high-risk of going blind to detect possible errors in the testing system.

Local health bosses have said that the service will not re-open now until at least February – and patients who might have undergone tests at Colchester and Tendring’s retinal screening service and have subsequently noticed their sight is declining are being urged to make an appointment with an optician.

Care adviser at charity Diabetes UK, Natasha Marsland, said:

‘It is vital everyone with diabetes receives free annual retinal screening with a digital camera.

‘This service can help identify diabetic retinopathy, which is the leading cause of blindness in the UK’s working age population. It can be prevented if caught early,’ added Ms Marsland.

Chairman of the Colchester and North Essex Diabetes UK volunteer group, Peter Blackburn, said:

‘As far as I understand, the problem occurred in the reading of photographs – they weren’t picking up everything they should.

‘I have had lots of requests from people to find out what’s going on – all we can tell them is the primary care trust is working as hard as it can, but it’s taking a long time, which is unacceptable.

‘We are back to where we were three of four years ago,’ added Mr Blackburn – who has himself lost the sight in one of his own eyes as a result of diabetic retinopathy.

Director of clinical quality at NHS North East Essex, Wendy Tankard, said:

‘This is a time-consuming process and has caused a delay, but we felt it important to carry out the exercise before recommencing the screening service.

‘While I fully understand people’s concerns, I hope they will agree it would not be right to recommence the service before we have carried out the most exacting review.’

Problems with the service first came to light when official inspectors queried the low rate of detection at Colchester and Tendring’s retinal screening service, which was suspended immediately as a result. The tests being conducted assessed the likelihood of patients with diabetes going blind in one or both eyes.

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