Prime Minister's Question Time, 3 March 2004
Tony Blair was questioned during Prime Minister's Question Time about the delay in providing an eye treatment that could have prevented up to 2,800 people losing their sight.
Tory Leader Michael Howard said that claims by Health Secretary John Reid that the treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration had been delayed due to "lack of trained personnel" had been rejected by experts.
Michael Howard told the Commons that the Royal National Institute of the Blind had said that that there are at least 50 centres across the country that could provide the photodynamic therapy (PDT) today.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said he intended to investigate the facts.
"The treatment could be provided now. People are going blind because they are not allowed to provide that treatment now." Michael Howard.
After the second longest consultation process in history the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that PDT should be made available for all 7,500 people who each year have wet age-related macular degeneration. Michael Howard asked the Prime Minister why the statutory three-month implementation period for guidance from NICE had been extended to nine months in the case of PDT.
Mr Howard ruled out the Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, claim that the extension was due to staff shortages stating that according to RNIB the people who could provide the treatment are there now.
Michael Howard asked "Will the Prime Minister now instruct the Secretary of State to deliver that important sight-saving service as a matter of urgency?" Mr Blair said he was not able to address the specifics of the issue. But would find out exactly what the facts are.
Steve Winyard, RNIB head of public policy, welcomed Mr Howard's questions.
"The government has absolutely no excuse in still not allowing PDT treatment to be made available on the NHS. There is no shortage of doctors that we are aware of who could provide treatment. On the contrary we know of 50 centres around the country that can provide people with treatment who otherwise may go blind. The situation as it now stands is a sham and it has effectively denied people treatment for far too long."
Prime Ministers Question Time, 10 March 2004
Blair insists nine month delay due to "building capacity"
The House was told by Tory Leader Michael Howard that he had not heard from Tony Blair despite his promise to investigate the denial of an eye treatment and then write to him. Mr Blair responded by stating that the reason for the nine month delay was to build the capacity to treat people properly. Michael Howard replied by quoting from a letter sent to the Prime Minister by RNIB stating that 50 centres around the country could provide the treatment. Tony Blair finished by repeating that capacity still needed to be built and that he disputed RNIB's claims.