Diabetic eye screening clinic Birkenhead opens at St Catherine’s 2026

Key Points

• A new diabetic eye screening service has been established at St Catherine’s Health Centre in Birkenhead through Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH).
• The purpose of the screening service is to raise the number of patients being screened in Birkenhead, a region which has in the past recorded lower uptake than the rest of Wirral.
• The early indications are that the service is attracting individuals who have not been screened in the past and those who have stopped attending appointments.
• These include individuals aged 12 years or older suffering from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Appointments can be made through telephone contact.
• Optometrist Kirsty Jackson and CEO Janelle Holmes have emphasised early detection and ease of access as among the benefits of the new facility.
• One of the patients Albert Armour, 67, from Prenton has praised easy appointment booking, free car parking and timely attendance.

Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) September 29, 2026 – A new diabetic eye screening clinic has opened at St Catherine’s Health Centre in Birkenhead, delivered by Wirral University Teaching Hospital as part of its Wirral Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. The service is intended to make screening more accessible and convenient for local residents living with diabetes, with the specific goal of boosting uptake in an area that has recorded lower participation rates than other parts of the borough.

Why is this clinic being launched in Birkenhead now?

As reported by staff statements carried on the Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust website, the clinic was introduced to address long-standing inequalities in screening attendance across Wirral. Janelle Holmes, Joint Chief Executive for WUTH and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“I’m delighted that the new diabetic eye screening service at St Catherine’s Health Centre is already making a real difference, with more people attending for screening.”

She added:

“By providing greater choice through community-based locations, we can make it easier for people to access appointments and help tackle health inequalities across the local area.”

The trust has emphasised that diabetic eye disease often has no symptoms in its early stages, meaning regular screening is the only reliable way to detect changes before they affect sight. When changes are identified early, treatment can be highly effective; once vision has deteriorated, interventions can generally only prevent further loss rather than restore sight.

How is the new clinic performing in its first months?

According to figures released by the trust for the first three months of operation, the clinic is reaching significant numbers of people who have never previously had their eyes screened, as well as those who had stopped attending appointments. A small but important number of patients have been referred on for further assessment or monitoring, indicating that the service is identifying issues that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Kirsty Jackson, an optometrist who has been carrying out screening at the clinic since it opened, said:

“The new clinic at St Catherine’s Health Centre is already making a real difference.”

She continued:

“We’re seeing people who haven’t attended diabetic eye screening for several years, often for a variety of reasons, and we’re identifying diabetic eye disease that can now be referred for treatment before it has a significant impact on vision.”

Jackson explained the clinical rationale: “One of the challenges with diabetic eye disease is that it doesn’t usually have symptoms in its early stages, so people are unlikely to know there’s a problem.” “By the time vision is affected, some damage may already have happened, and treatment is generally less effective.” She added:

“That’s why screening is so important, as it allows us to spot changes early, when they’re best managed through good diabetes control, appropriate monitoring, and timely treatment where needed.”

What are patients saying about access and experience?

The trust has highlighted practical factors that can influence attendance, including location, parking and transport links. Free parking for up to three hours is available at St Catherine’s Health Centre for those accompanying patients, and there are good public transport connections via several bus services.

Albert Armour, 67, from Prenton, who has lived with type 2 diabetes for a couple of years, said he was impressed by how quickly he secured an appointment. “Because I drive for a living, it’s a requirement for my work to get my eyes checked so I’m really pleased to have this option,” he said. He praised the booking process and facilities:

“My GP gave me the details and I found it really easy to book in. My friend brought me by car, so it was really easy to park, and my appointment was on time.”

Armour also encouraged others to attend screening. “Your eyesight is so important, but people often only appreciate it when it starts to go,” he said.

“I have friends with diabetes so I will be recommending that they get their eyes checked here because it’s been such a positive experience.”

The trust noted that word of mouth is helping the service grow, with patients recommending it to friends and family who have since booked their own appointments.

Who is eligible and how can people book?

The clinic screens everyone aged 12 and over who has been diagnosed with diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2. Patients can book an appointment by phone, choosing a time or day that suits them. The wider Wirral Diabetic Eye Screening Programme delivers screening across a variety of locations, including GP surgeries, hospitals and optician practices, with people usually invited every one or two years depending on prior results.

Jackson concluded with a direct appeal:

“We are urging anyone invited for diabetic eye screening to attend their appointment.” “Regular screening is one of the best ways to protect your sight.”

Background to diabetic eye screening development in Wirral

Diabetic eye screening in England is a national programme designed to detect diabetic retinopathy early, when treatment is most effective. In Wirral, the local programme has operated across multiple community and clinical sites for several years, with performance monitored against national standards. Historical data show that while Wirral has at times met or exceeded national uptake targets, coverage has fluctuated and some localities have recorded lower participation. A 2022–2025 Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for Wirral noted that uptake of diabetic eye screening stood at 58.2% in Wirral for 2020/21, compared with 67.7% in England, underscoring the context for targeted local initiatives. The opening of a dedicated clinic in Birkenhead aligns with efforts to improve access through community-based locations and to reduce geographical and practical barriers to attendance.

Prediction: how could this development affect people with diabetes in Birkenhead?

If the early trends reported by the trust continue, the Birkenhead clinic is likely to increase the proportion of local residents with diabetes who attend regular eye screening, particularly among those who have previously not attended or who lapsed from the programme. Higher uptake should lead to earlier detection of diabetic retinopathy and other eye changes, enabling timely referral and treatment that can prevent avoidable sight loss. For the local population, this could translate into fewer advanced eye complications, reduced pressure on hospital ophthalmology services for late-stage disease, and improved confidence among patients that screening is accessible and straightforward. Over time, sustained community-based provision, combined with patient recommendations and simplified booking, may help narrow the gap between Birkenhead’s screening rates and those in other parts of Wirral.