Press Release

7 October 2008

New eye disease treatment available on the NHS at Broomfield Hospital

Patients in Essex will now be able to receive a revolutionary treatment for the eye disease, (wet) Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), on the NHS at Broomfield Hospital.

ARMD is the commonest cause of blindness in the UK and the treatment was previously only available privately.  Following new guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) it states that the treatment for wet ARMD should be provided by all PCT’s at their local hospital, or they should make arrangements for their patients to be treated at an alternative centre.

Mr Petros Andreou, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Director at Broomfield Hospital said:” We have worked very hard to secure funding from the PCT to deliver the service locally to patients at Broomfield Hospital. Mr Ajay Sinha, as medical retinal lead, will be delivering the service.”

Mr Andreou continued:” This is a real breakthrough in the treatment of ARMD. We have our systems in place to provide this treatment, so we will be ready to launch the new service on 15th October.”

The treatment available at Broomfield Hospital involves injecting the drug Lucentis into the eye which prevents new, weak blood vessels from growing and leaking under the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for central vision, and may even repair some of the damage that has been done to the eye.

Mr Andreou, explains:” Currently the only other NHS hospital offering this service is Southend, so we are expecting a high demand for this treatment at Broomfield.  We expect to treat around 100 patients annually and have already identified several suitable patients who will be the first people to receive this treatment at Broomfield on 15th October.”

The treatment consists of three injections into the eye, one administered each month.  The patients are then regularly monitored to check their progress.  They will receive further injections if the vision falls.  The treatment is spread over two years and over the course of the treatment most patients will find their vision stays the same and for some, approximately 30%, it will improve.

Sallie Mills-Lewis, Director of Commissioning and Redesign for NHS Mid Essex added: “This is an exciting innovation and a very welcome development in the treatment of ARMD.  We are very pleased to be able to support its introduction and we hope that many patients in the Mid-Essex area can benefit from it.”

Patients requiring this treatment will be referred to Broomfield Hospital by their GP or optician.

Click Here to read more about this new treatment at our hospital.

ENDS

Media contact : Jo Triggs tel: (01245) 514235 | Mobile : 0790 005 4948