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Update on High Court case of three elderly patients against Warwickshire PCT

Summary: Latest update from High Court case.

Statement from RNIB - 14 July 2008

Background

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is backing three elderly patients in a landmark court case against Warwickshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) for refusing to fund sight-saving treatment. The judicial review began on Thursday 10 July at the High Court in London.

Update 14 July 2008

The case has been adjourned by Mr Justice Forbes until the 28 July pending the outcome of the appeal against NICE's latest draft guidance on the use of anti-VEGF drugs to treat wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The result of the NICE appeal is expected on 21 July.

RNIB's Head of Campaigns, Steve Winyard, said: " We're very disappointed that the case has been adjourned. Ray, Jean and Patricia have all been through a long enough battle already, so to be told they have to wait even longer is incredibly difficult for them. Wet AMD can rob you of your sight in as little as three months, so time is of the essence."

"RNIB is supporting this case because we believe that nobody should needlessly lose their sight when effective treatments are available. Warwickshire remains the only PCT in the country not to have funded a single patient in their care with sight-saving anti-VEGF treatment. More than half of PCTs have already adopted NICE's draft guidelines, with many more providing treatment for some patients in their care. Acknowledging Mr Justice Forbes' lead, we now look to Warwickshire PCT, Lucentis-manufacturer Novartis and the Department of Health to bring this to a swift and positive conclusion."

[End of statement]

Further information

For further media information or for interviews, please contact Christina Nicolaidou or Yashoda Sutton, RNIB Press Office, on 020 7391 2223 (out of hours mobile: 07968 482812).

Content author: pressoffice@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 18/07/2008 14:49

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