Patients get anti-blindness drug

The disease leads to progressive loss of sight as patients age

A revolutionary treatment for an age related eye disease that leads to blindness is being made available to patients in Essex paid for by the NHS.

Treatment for wet age related macular degeneration, offered at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital, involves injecting the drug Lucentis into the eye.

This prevents weak blood vessels from growing and leaking under the macula, part of the retina.

It may even repair some of the damage done to the eye, experts believe.

Petros Andreou, consultant ophthalmologist and clinical director at the hospital, said:" We have worked very hard to secure funding from the PCT to deliver the service locally to patients at Broomfield Hospital."

Wet age related macular degeneration is the commonest cause of blindness in the UK and the treatment was previously only available privately.