Effect of the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 pandemic on diabetic retinopathy and referral levels in the English National Health Service Diabetic Eye Screening Programme

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with small increases in referable retinopathy rates from 3.1% to 3.2%, non-referable DR from 24·6% to 24.8% and an increase in the ungradable image rate from 2.6% to 3.1%, the latter increase possibly being caused by untreated cataract during the pandemic. Risk stratification of invitations in the recovery period was believed to have contributed to keeping the referable rates low and supports a similar approach in extension of the screening interval for low-risk groups.