It is estimated that in the UK alone there are 2.6 million people diagnosed with diabetes and a further half a million unknown people with diabetes. Although diabetes is seen across all ethnic groups it is more common in those of Afro-Caribbean populations living in the UK. One of the most common complications of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which features in a third of the population of those affected by the condition. This article will give a brief overview of diabetes and then it will focus on diabetic retinopathy, and will conclude with a case study.