Pensioner's plea as St Cross eye unit debacle rumble on

A PENSIONER who could go blind without hospital treatment has demanded an end to the ongoing delay to allow people from Rugby to use a specialist

eye unit at St Cross.

John Raymond, 86, has age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and requires injections every month.

But the former soldier, who also suffers from diabetes and mild dementia, is one of many who have to travel to Warwick Hospital if they want treatment while residents from other areas of Warwickshire have access to the town's AMD unit.

The NHS Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is now coming under mounting pressure to renegotiate the contractual anomaly after announcing in July it would happen 'in the next few months'.

But three months on a date for that to happen has still not been set in stone and Mr Raymond's wife Jean, also 84, told the Observer she felt let down by the fiasco after being a staunch supporter of St Cross and once donating 1p in every £1 she had to keep it open when closure threatened in the mid-90s.

The pair, from Brownsover, have been married for 64 years and have lived in the town their entire lives.

"I started work at 14 and I've paid into the NHS all my life," Jean said.

"For years I didn't need it but now that we do we're told we can't - all because of a contractual arrangement.

"I've heard some Rugby people have been given permission, but given permission to go to a hospital? That's not right.

"I do feel let down and I'm sure a lot of other people from Rugby will feel the same. Everybody I've spoken to is disgusted about this."

Health chiefs said the agreement had been set up by the previous Warwickshire Primary Care Trust, who only contracted Warwick to provide the service.

Dr Adrian Canale-Parola, chair of the CCG, said: “We are aware of the patient interest around the service for AMD to be provided at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW).

"We want to reassure patients in Coventry and Rugby the CCG is working towards a consistent service so that patients can choose where they want to be treated.

"In order to achieve this, we are working closely with UHCW NHS Trust and other local CCGs to ensure the appropriate arrangements can be put in place.

"We are confident we will be able to reach a conclusion to this work within the next few months."

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