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| Blindness worry after drug delay | Blindness worry after drug delay |
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| An eye patient fears he will go blind within months, while waiting for a drug he says he needs. | |
| Mervyn Meredith, 69, from Swansea, has been told he will not be funded for Lucentis, which costs £20,000 per year. | Mervyn Meredith, 69, from Swansea, has been told he will not be funded for Lucentis, which costs £20,000 per year. |
| The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) said it needed more data on the drug, but local health boards were still free to prescribe it. | The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) said it needed more data on the drug, but local health boards were still free to prescribe it. |
| Swansea Local Health Board (LHB), which would fund the treatment, has been asked to comment. | |
| Mr Meredith is one of several patients in the Swansea area who have been refused funding for Lucentis. | Mr Meredith is one of several patients in the Swansea area who have been refused funding for Lucentis. |
| He has lost the sight in his left eye and the vision in his right eye is failing. | He has lost the sight in his left eye and the vision in his right eye is failing. |
| Lucentis is being made available by only a few LHBs in Wales while clinical guidelines are prepared. | Lucentis is being made available by only a few LHBs in Wales while clinical guidelines are prepared. |
| It is unacceptable for primary care trusts to use the absence of Nice guidance as an excuse not to prescribe a treatment National Institute for Clinical Excellence | It is unacceptable for primary care trusts to use the absence of Nice guidance as an excuse not to prescribe a treatment National Institute for Clinical Excellence |
| Nice has recommended it should be given to only a small number of patients who had already lost sight in one eye and suffered from a specific form of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). | Nice has recommended it should be given to only a small number of patients who had already lost sight in one eye and suffered from a specific form of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). |
| It was expected to give its final guidance on the drug in December but has since postponed the decision as it wants more information on the drug's clinical and cost effectiveness. | It was expected to give its final guidance on the drug in December but has since postponed the decision as it wants more information on the drug's clinical and cost effectiveness. |
| Mr Meredith said: "It's a postcode lottery. If I lived in Scotland or Pembrokeshire or even in Cardiff, I could have it. | Mr Meredith said: "It's a postcode lottery. If I lived in Scotland or Pembrokeshire or even in Cardiff, I could have it. |
| "It's depressing me as well. I was praying that my sight would last until September, then it was mentioned about December. | "It's depressing me as well. I was praying that my sight would last until September, then it was mentioned about December. |
| "Now they've moved it to next year. No way. It's going fast. | "Now they've moved it to next year. No way. It's going fast. |
| "It won't last until next April. I know this." | "It won't last until next April. I know this." |
| Wet AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting about 250,000 people. There are 26,000 new cases each year. | Wet AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting about 250,000 people. There are 26,000 new cases each year. |
| AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK | AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK |
| But the guidelines body said NHS boards were still able to make their own judgement about whether to fund the drug. | But the guidelines body said NHS boards were still able to make their own judgement about whether to fund the drug. |
| It said: "The Department of Health has however made it clear that it is unacceptable for primary care trusts to use the absence of Nice guidance as an excuse not to prescribe a treatment. | It said: "The Department of Health has however made it clear that it is unacceptable for primary care trusts to use the absence of Nice guidance as an excuse not to prescribe a treatment. |
| "Equally, there is no ban on the prescribing of drugs that have not been assessed by Nice." | "Equally, there is no ban on the prescribing of drugs that have not been assessed by Nice." |
| However, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) said by "by going back to the drawing board" to issue new guidelines, Nice had in effect admitted it had its preliminary recommendations wrong. | However, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) said by "by going back to the drawing board" to issue new guidelines, Nice had in effect admitted it had its preliminary recommendations wrong. |
| Head of campaigns Steve Winyard called for a quick decision and said: "This incompetence means that every day they reconsider and delay, 50 people could lose their sight." | Head of campaigns Steve Winyard called for a quick decision and said: "This incompetence means that every day they reconsider and delay, 50 people could lose their sight." |
| The Welsh Assembly Government said a number of concerns were raised in response to the draft guidance, including the impact on people who lose their sight. | The Welsh Assembly Government said a number of concerns were raised in response to the draft guidance, including the impact on people who lose their sight. |
| "We look forward to carefully considering Nice's revised draft guidance which is expected in the autumn. Final guidance is not now expected until next year." | "We look forward to carefully considering Nice's revised draft guidance which is expected in the autumn. Final guidance is not now expected until next year." |