Draft guidance published
Today (6 June 2011) RNIB celebrates draft guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which will provide sight saving treatment to thousands of people.
NICE have recommended that Ozurdex be provided by the NHS for the treatment of macular oedema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Each year around 25,000 people in the UK will have the condition and are likely to be suitable for treatment with Ozurdex (see notes).
"Start providing treatment"
Barbara McLaughlan, RNIB Eye Health Campaigns Manager says: "Today's announcement is excellent news, particularly for patients with Central RVO, as this is the only licensed treatment available. At RNIB we would urge PCTs not to force patients to wait for final guidance to be published on treatment with Ozurdex, but to start providing this sight saving treatment immediately."
RNIB also expects that following this positive decision from NICE, the Scottish Medicines Consortium will reconsider its guidance on Ozurdex, allowing patients in Scotland the same access to this sight-saving treatment.
Carol's story
Carol Read from Cambridgeshire was diagnosed with RVO last year. She has been instrumental in gaining today's positive decision, as Carol met with the NICE committee and helped them to understand the impact of RVO and living with sight loss.
Carol couldn't get treatment on the NHS, so to prevent losing her sight she paid for treatment with Ozurdex. "I had reached a stage where I could no longer enjoy daily activities like reading, but since the treatment I can drive again and keep up with all my hobbies. It is like a new lease of life."
Carol's last injection was in January and she now needs another treatment. She can no longer afford to pay for this herself, because as well as the cost of the drug, Carol would have to pay for the consultant's time and the use of the surgery. However, she has been told that she may have to wait until her PCT implements the final NICE guidance. This could mean waiting another four months for treatment when she needs the injection now.
RNIB's Barbara McLaughlan says: "It would be terrible if one of the people who has helped to make this available on the NHS, was forced to continue waiting for treatment. Prompt treatment is needed to ensure that patients do not experience unnecessary sight loss and that the improvement to their vision is maximised. A longer wait could mean that Carol does not experience as much improvement in her vision when she does finally receive the treatment, so we hope that Cambridgeshire PCT will allow Carol to receive treatment immediately."
-ends-
For further information or to arrange a media interview with an RNIB spokesperson please contact Yashoda Sutton, RNIB Media Relations Team on 020 7391 2223 or email pressoffice@rnib.org.uk. Out of hours call 07968 482812.
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The guidance
The guidance from NICE is draft. Stakeholders have the opportunity to appeal against these recommendations and consequently they may change in the event of an appeal being received.
About RVO
There are two types of RVO, Central and Branch. Ozurdex is the only licensed treatment available to treat Central RVO, and this guidance recommends that patients with this condition will automatically be eligible for treatment. Branch RVO can be treated with laser, and the guidance advises that Ozurdex will only be used with patients who have not responded to laser treatment or where the oedema is too large for laser treatment.
About RNIB
Every day another 100 people in the UK will start to lose their sight. There are around two million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.
RNIB is a partner in the UK Vision Strategy, a ground-breaking UK-wide initiative which seeks a major transformation in the UK's eye health, eye care and sight loss services. The strategy was launched in April 2008 in response to a World Health Assembly global resolution to reduce avoidable blindness by the year 2020 and to improve support and services for blind and partially sighted people. To find out more visit: www.vision2020uk.org.uk/ukvisionstrategy.