News

The RNIB is calling on supporters to oppose the decision by NICE to restrict the use of drugs to treat wet AMD in England and Wales ahead of the consultation deadline on July 12 (News June 22).

A survey by the RNIB in response to NICE's preliminary guidance issued on June 14 revealed that nearly 90 per cent of people thought it was wrong for the NHS not to fund treatment which could prevent blindness 65 per cent said they were disgusted and that the recommendations would mean just one in five patients being offered treatment and only after they had gone blind in one eye.

The RNIB said the guidance would condemn 20,000 people in the UK to blindness each year and urged supporters to write to NICE's chief executive to ask him to reconsider the decision. 'Ask him why people in the UK are being denied a treatment freely available in Scotland,' it said. It also urged people to lobby their MPs. The second appraisal committee meeting will be on August 9.

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