PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Early day motion 1452, tabled 17 June 2002 by John McDonnell (Labour). Signed by 63 members.

That this House expresses its dismay at the draft guidance recently issued by NICE which rations the use of photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration to treatment of the only-functioning or better-seeing eye and in specialist centres only; notes that age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the United Kingdom and that photodynamic therapy could benefit as many as 7,500 patients a year; believes that by rationing the use of photodynamic therapy to treatment of the better eye only NICE may be condemning patients to blindness in their other, untreated eye; believes that the deleterious effect this will have on patients' quality of life is impossible to justify and that the guidance has no clinical basis; and calls on NICE to review its final appraisal determination on photodynamic therapy as a matter of urgency.

Signatures by party: Labour 37, Liberal Democrat 13, Conservative 4, Labour/Co-operative 3, UUP 3, Plaid Cymru 2, DUP 1.