Woman Refused Sight-Saving Drug

A woman with a degenerative eye disease has been told she cannot have potentially sight-saving treatment on the NHS because it costs too much.

Notts County Primary Care Trust says Margaret Maslowska, 82, from Eastwood, Notts, cannot have the drug Lucentis.

Mrs Maslowska has already paid for the drug privately at a cost of £4,500.

In a statement, the PCT said: "We do not routinely provide treatment unless there is compelling evidence of clinical and/or cost-effectiveness."

Mrs Maslowska suffers from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK and affects a quarter of a million people.