Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what medication is available on the NHS to treat (a) diabetes blindness, (b) diabetic retinopathy and (c) macular disease.

Blindness is a rare complication of uncontrolled diabetes. For people with diabetes, the best way to protect their eyesight is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible and ensure that other associated risk factors such as high blood pressure is treated to minimise the risk of eye complications. There is also a diabetic retinopathy screening programme which is available annually to all people with diabetes aged 12 and over.

Advanced diabetic retinopathy and macular disease may be treated with laser treatment or injections of medicine into the eye.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued technology appraisal guidance recommending a number of different medicines for use in the treatment of these conditions. Further information is available at:

http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/conditions-and-diseases/eye-conditions

NHS commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended by NICE technology appraisal guidance.

In addition, clinicians can prescribe any treatment which they consider to be the best available medicine to meet the individual clinical needs of their patient, subject to clinical commissioning groups, who are responsible for the commissioning of ophthalmic services in secondary care, agreeing to fund the treatment.