NHS Delay is Dangerous to Health, Patients waiting for Appointments, going Blind

According to the reports, NHS opthalmology specialists say patients have lost their sight because of long waiting times to see a doctor, or to start treatment to prevent blindness. 

A report by the Royal National Institute for the Blind says rising demand from Britain's ageing population, and financial pressures on services, means that patients suffering from conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are not receiving the help they need in time. 

In many of the cases, sight loss is irreversible, condemning thousands to lives of permanent disability, which could have been prevented, the charity said. 

More than six million patients a year are treated by the NHS for treatable eye conditions, such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)- which can cause blindness within three months, without treatment. 

Research involving more than 170 opthalmic specialists found that 37 per cent said patients were losing their sight because of delays accessing treatment, while a further four per cent said it was happening often. 

The charity said the figures represent thousands of patients losing their vision, which simple treatment could have saved.