13 May 2026
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has opened a consultation on evidence relating to the use of artificial intelligence technology within the diabetic eye screening (DES) programme.
A blog posted on the UK NSC website noted that the incorporation of automated grading is not currently recommended within the DES programme.
However, the UK NSC is now seeking feedback following new evidence that suggests some Automated Retinal Image Analysis Systems (ARIAS) are as effective as human graders.
The updated evidence supports testing ARIAS in real-world NHS services – enabling information to be collected about the effect of ARIAS on patients, staff, and costs.
“We have now opened a consultation to ask stakeholders and members of the public to provide feedback on the new evidence summary and its conclusions,” the UK NSC blog post states.
“The consultation responses will be collated and reviewed so the UK NSC can consider them before making an updated recommendation,” the blog post continues.
A 2021 review of ARIAS concluded that, while the technology showed promise, the evidence was insufficient to support the widespread implementation of ARIAS at the time.
The latest evidence summary reviews the literature that has been published since 2021 on the use of ARIAS.
The UK NSC consultation on the use of AI within the DES will be open until 3 August. Those interested can make a submission online.
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