A RETIRED policeman and former prison officer claimed today he will have to lose his sight in one eye before health chiefs consider treating him.

Les Howard, 76, of Acomb, York, was diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in his right eye at York Hospital last November.

He needs special injections to save his sight but it is claimed North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) will only consider funding them once he has gone blind in one eye and developed wet AMD in his second eye.

The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) claims Mr Howard's only hope is to pay for private treatment - wet AMD can cause sight loss in as little as three months and requires prompt treatment.

Mr Howard, who did National Service with the army and then served as a Territorial soldier before becoming a police officer in Staffordshire, moved to York in 1986 with his work as a prison guard.

He was among the first guards to open HMP Full Sutton in 1987.

He has been told having the injections done privately will cost £1,000 a time - with doctors unable to say how many sessions would be required.

"I can't believe I'm being left to go blind in one eye," he said. "I've spent most of my working life devoted to public service and I've never failed to pay my dues.

"I've paid literally tens of thousands of pounds in taxes and to know that I will now lose my sight because I can't afford private treatment is diabolical.

"Has the Government lost all sense of compassion as well as economics? Is there no way I can get help to save my sight?

"My wife and I have arthritis of the spine and if I lose my sight, we'll end up housebound because I won't be able to drive - that will destroy us."

He said his consultant, Dr Nicola Topping, had applied for funding for the drugs, but had been turned down by the PCT.

A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said the anti-VEGF drugs Mr Howard needs, such as pegaptanib and ranibizumab, were deemed safe to use, but an assessment of their value for money was still ongoing. The anticipated publication date for this appraisal is September.

He said: "The Department of Health has, however, made it clear that it is unacceptable for primary care trusts to use the absence of NICE guidance as an excuse not to prescribe."

A PCT spokesman said: "The Department of Health issued revised guidance on managing the introduction of new healthcare interventions in December 2006.

"This advises NHS organisations that until NICE has published final guidance on a treatment, NHS bodies should continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies.

"There is no NICE guidance for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration with anti-VEGF drugs. In agreement with other PCTs in the region, North Yorkshire and York PCT has agreed to fund anti-VEGF drugs for patients for whom it has been evidenced that this will be an effective treatment.

"This is based on an assessment of the patients against an agreed clinical criteria established by the PCTs.

"If any patient feels they should be considered for treatment outside of the criteria the PCT has an agreed process to consider their individual circumstances.

"The PCT has committed to review this process following the publication of any NICE guidance."