DRS Service in North East Essex

The Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service (DRSS) across north east Essex is to be provided by Health Intelligence from April 2011, as the local NHS seeks to combine the highest quality service with best value for money.

Health Intelligence was successful in its bid to provide a DRSS to six primary care trusts across East Anglia: NHS North East Essex, NHS Mid Essex, NHS Great Yarmouth & Waverney, NHS Suffolk, NHS Norfolk and NHS Cambridgeshire.

The service, which offers specialised eye tests to people with diabetes, will ensure that all patients with diabetes aged 12 and above and registered with a GP practice will receive an invitation to have an annual screening test. In addition, any patients with diabetes who are not registered but who are known to be resident locally will also receive an invitation.

Debbie Saban, Screening and Immunisation Lead with NHS North East Essex said: “Our contract with the current service provider was due for renewal so we have taken the opportunity to work with colleagues from neighbouring primary care trusts to invite bids from organisations which are able to provide a single service across much of East Anglia.

“Our paramount concern remains the quality of the service to our patients and we are delighted that this change of provider will enable us, shortly, to offer people improved access to the screening.

“However, we had an opportunity to also appoint a service provider which offers us best value for money. Making the very best use of our resources is important if we are to continue offering the service improvements across so many different areas of local healthcare provision that we are determined to achieve.”

The NHS has been working closely with Diabetes UK during its search for a new provider for the DRSS. Diabetes UK’s Regional Manager, Sharon Tilbrook, said: “We were invited to take part in the tender and interview process for the new provider. We have no concerns and believe the new service will continue to provide, at the very least, the same quality and standard of service.

“I met with the new providers early this year and we will work together to ensure the views of the service users are heard going forward. We will continue to be a member of the Programme Board to monitor the transition of services and ensure the new provider is fulfilling the specification.”