Previous studies have shown that an increase in social deprivation is associated with a decrease in the uptake of screening for diabetic retinopathy32–34 although it has been suggested that this inequality has reduced since the introduction of the national screening program.35 Scanlon et al32 showed that the prevalence of diabetes increased with deprivation quintile, as did the prevalence of sight threatening diabetic retinopathy, whilst the uptake of screening within this patient group was reduced. Our findings are consistent with this study with the additional finding that the effect of socio-economic status is also independent of HbA1c.
Our study shows that once patients had been referred from screening and attended the hospital eye service there was no significant difference in rate of DNA/cancellations or time to laser between the socio-economic groups.