A PENSIONER diagnosed with an incurable eye sight condition has been denied a palliative supplement by her local primary care trust despite it being freely available elsewhere in the country.
Christine Frost, 61, of The Lindens, Loughton, was diagnosed with the condition AMD in April which means her eyesight will degenerate until she can no longer read or drive.
She went to a specialist eye consultant who recommended she take the supplement Viteyes to help slow the degeneration but has been unable to obtain it from NHS West Essex.
She said: “I tried to get a prescription from my GP but he said the PCT wouldn't sanction it. I've looked around, and I've got evidence that other PCTs do sanction it. It's a postcode lottery after I've paid my dues all my life.
“I can order it privately, but I'm a pensioner and I think I should be able to have it, and not be point blank refused.
“My eye specialist recommended it. I think he knows more than the PCT. Their attitude made me very cross. They basically said 'If I gave it to you I'd have to give it to everybody'. I said 'No only the people who need it'. This is not going to save my eyesight, but I believe it will slow down the degeneration and this has put me under a lot of stress.”
James Sutton, owner of Butterflies Healthcare which distributes Viteyes in the UK, said he was aware of a number of PCTs across the country which did provide the supplement on the NHS including ones in Cheshire, Hampshire, and Oxfordshire.
He added: “I think it's unfair that if a consultant has said a product such as Viteyes would benefit somebody it's then not made available by some PCTs but is made available by others. It could help preserve their sight.”
NHS West Essex assistant director for clinical quality and medicines management Anurita Rohilla said: "Eye specialists recommend people with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) be advised to eat balanced diets which may be enhanced with vitamin supplements. However, there is no recommendation to prescribe these on the NHS.
"The reason for this is the effectiveness of these food supplements is not always certain. Food supplements are not licensed medicines. For this reason GPs are recommended not to prescribe.
"Food supplements are relatively inexpensive. We suggest if patients do want to try them, they can buy them from pharmacies, supermarkets and health food shops. "
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here