Sight saving treatment denied

3:31pm Wednesday 30th July 2008

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AN 83 year grandmother who faces going blind is being refused treatment on the NHS, which will save her sight.

Anneliese Cheslin from Old Swinford suffers from dry and wet Age Related Macular Degeneration, an eye condition which results in the loss of vision and can affect people as young as 50.

Mrs Cheslin needs the drug Lucentis which will prevent her from going blind, but currently under Dudley PCT guidelines this treatment is not offered on the NHS.

In order to save her sight Mrs Cheslin will have to pay £1,800 for one injection and will have to have an injection every month for three months, followed by another injection every six months.

The news has left the pensioner angry as if she lived in Sandwell, she would receive this treatment on the NHS.

She said: “ I have worked all my life and I have had never needed anything before from the NHS and when you suddenly need something, you expect the NHS to give it you.

“I can’t afford this treatment, I haven’t got the money to pay for it.”

She added: “It is not very nice, I have already lost 50 per cent of my vision if I don’t have the treatment I will lose it all together.

“If I lose my sight it will be terrible, my life will not be worth living.

“I don’t want to lose my sight, I need to go ahead with the treatment- the sooner the better I can’t wait until it comes available, if I wait for it to become available it will be too late.

“Sight loss is extremely worrying, I am really scared about it, I am so angry about this.”

In a bid of desperation the elderly pensioner contacted Conservative candidate for Stoubridge Margot James for support and to help towards the campaign.

Margot has been working hard to get Dudley PCT to fund the treatment, she has written to the chairman and non-executive directors of Dudley PCT urging them to make the drug available to those who need it.

She said: “The National Institute for Clinical Excellence ( NICE) have issued draft guidance that recommends treatment with Lucentis for all patients with AMD, although the guidance has not come in to effect yet it is clear that NICE have issued a positive statement about the clinical and cost effectiveness of this treatment as a means of allowing our older people to maintain their sight.

“There is a good chance that the draft NICE guidance will be confirmed this autumn so I call on Dudley PCT to do the right thing now, along with more than 80 per cent of other PCTs around the country and treat people in order to save their sight.

A spokesperson for Dudley PCT said: “Each request for Lucentis is considered on an individual basis.

“We also assess each case against the Exceptional Treatment Policy and where it is demonstrated that cases are exceptional, funding maybe granted.

“In total since April 1 2007, we have received 43 requests for Lucentis and have funded two under the ETR policy, where it was demonstrated that their cases were exceptional.”

Dudley PCT has also stopped prescribing a vitamin eye supplement ICAPS to patients also suffering from AMD.

The news has caused upset and confusion to patients originally receiving the supplement on the NHS.

ICAPS was prescribed to help boost nutrition which helps towards having healthy eyes and slow down the affect of AMD.

A Dudley PCT spokesperson said: “Following a review of ICaps by the Area Medicines Management Committee, the decision was taken not to include the supplement in the Trust’s Drug Formulary, this decision was based on both clinical and cost effectiveness.”

The PCT said for patients who still wish to take the supplement this is available in pharmacies for around £10.00 per month.