Eye drug private costs 'immoral'

Shirley Possart has spent £12,000 on injections

Elderly patients are paying up to £2,000 a month for sight-saving injections as the NHS awaits guidance on new drugs, BBC Wales has found.

Some sufferers have already paid thousands for private treatment for a condition which can lead to blindness.

This is even though Wales' local health boards have been told they can pay for the treatment now.

Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas, chair of the assembly health committee, said the situation was "immoral".

"That is totally unfair on those people living on low incomes or benefits who are not in a position to even consider going privately," said Mr Thomas, who has raised the matter with Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons.

"But I think it's a matter of LHBs (local health boards) looking at their budgets and realising that there isn't sufficient money to offer these therapies.

I sincerely hope that they go on the NHS so that I don't have to go blind Shirley Possart, 71

"When we're talking about the number of people who might benefit from them, we're talking about a considerable sum of money

Every year 1,000 people in Wales - mostly over 60 - are diagnosed with the condition wet age-related macular degeneration, BBC Radio Wales' Eye on Wales programme has found.

If not treated quickly, the condition leads to the loss of central vision. If both eyes are affected it means registered blindness.

Until last year most cases were untreatable but new drugs are now offering hope of helping 90% of patients.

The drugs - macugen and lucentis - are being used privately under licence.

But they are currently being assessed for NHS use by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which is due to publish guidance in September.

However, the assembly government has told the health boards they can issue the drugs now.

'False economy'

Shirley Possart, 71, from Horton in Gower, has already spent £12,000 of her savings on six injections of lucentis after developing the condition in both eyes.

Although her sight has improved dramatically and she can now see to drive, read the papers and do the crossword again, she is worried about paying for more injections.

"It's my savings and they're rapidly dwindling. I sincerely hope that they go on the NHS so that I don't have to go blind," she said.

RNIB Cymru said it knew of no patients in Wales who were receiving the drugs on the NHS.

The charity's Ceri Jackson said: "We feel that the local health boards should be providing this treatment as it's a false economy.

"It is a sight-saving treatment and the cost of providing it is cheaper than the cost of taking care of somebody once they lose their sight," said Ms Jackson.

Eye on Wales is on BBC Radio Wales just after 1800 GMT on Monday, 26 February 2007.