Preventing sight loss in people with diabetes

Motion Text

That this House congratulates Queen’s University Belfast on its breakthrough study, led by Professor Tim Curtis and Dr Josy Augustine of the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, which found that a novel drug, 2-HDP, can protect retinal nerve cells and blood vessels in diabetic eye disease; highlights that diabetic retinal disease is the leading cause of vision loss in adults and that current treatment can only target the latest stages of damage; notes that the research which is supported by Diabetes UK, signals the possibility of earlier, preventative treatments for vision loss in people living with diabetes; urges the Government to accelerate this work into trials and pathways for treatment; and calls upon the Department for Health and Social Care to consider their support for protecting vision by targeting early intervention, to prevent against sight loss for people with diabetes.