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NICE suggests NHS needs to speed up care for those with Macular Degeneration

NICE suggests NHS needs to speed up care for those with Macular Degeneration

Monday 09 April 2018

New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) claim that patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) need quicker diagnosis and treatment to avoid blindness.

The guidelines go on to say that those suffering the most severe forms of AMD should commence treatment within 14 days of diagnosis, stating that thousands of elderly patients were currently being left to suffer “terrifying” consequences.

Spokesman Professor Mark Baker, Director of the centre for guidelines at NICE, makes the observation that quick intervention can be critical, saying: “AMD can be a life changing condition for people if it is not identified early on”.

Sources:

  1. The Telegraph:
    NHS urged to act more quickly to stop elderly patients going blind).

  2. NICE:
    Opportunity to improve care for people with suspected late stage macular degeneration, says NICE.

Label:

AMD

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Comments

  • gordon farmer
    27 Apr 2018

    I was diagnosed with AMD both wet and dry five years ago, to date I've received no treatment although I have attended the eye clinic in Northampton General hospital every two months, My eyesight is slowly getting much worse and yet, still the specialists do nothing other than look. They don't even make a comment

    Serious Readers reply:

    Dear Mr Farmer, many thanks for your comments. We are sorry to hear about your deteriorating eyesight and your experience to date. The new NICE guidelines are designed to ensure a prompt diagnosis and fast access to effective treatments. If you are not already in contact with them, The Macular Society offer free help, support and advice on the condition.

  • Gordon Bennett
    28 Apr 2018

    My wife who was identified three years ago with AMD is constantly told that her dry version will not result in absolute blindness but there is nothing that can be done for her, now aged 85. She is, of course, registered as partially sighted. Is this diagnosis correct,

    Serious Readers reply:

    Dear Mr Bennett, thank you for communicating with us. We are sorry to hear about your wife’s condition. We are a lighting company and experts in that field, and our blogs summarise news relating to light and sight in-so-far as it relates to our customers. We are not experts in eye care, so unfortunately we are not in a position to pass comment on your wife’s diagnosis. We recommend that you seek the advice of a registered eye care specialist with appropriate training.

  • Barry Brooks
    29 Apr 2018

    My Mother-in-Law has lost the sight in her left eye through AMD. The issue for her was not so much problems with the speed of the NHS response more her lack of knowledge of the symptoms. Given the disastrous results of AMD we need better information so that we can detect early signs and seek help.

    Serious Readers reply:

    Dear Mr Brooks, thank you for taking the time to share your observations. We are sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. In the UK, The Macular Society campaign to raise awareness of signs and symptoms, realising that many people miss the early signs. Researchers have been trying for some time to find reliable indicators prior to the onset of Macular Degeneration, and we write blogs about this research whenever it is published. If you click here, you will be able to see the blogs we have written about the disease.

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