 All patients with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. This condition is caused by the microscopic damage to small blood vessels to the eye. There is proliferation growth of these vessels and these new fragile vessels may bleed and destroy the retina leading to sight loss. It is estimated that in England every year 4,200 people are at risk of blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy and there are 1,280 new cases of blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy. It is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK in the working population and therefore there is a significant social and financial burden associated with the condition. However with timely diagnosis and treatment the risk of blindness can be dramatically reduced. As this condition may well remain silent until catastrophic late manifestations of the disease are evident, the need for an effective screening programme is obvious. 