HUDDERSFIELD patients are to benefit from new laser treatment for deteriorating eyesight.
Equipment costing more than £20,000 based in the ophthalmology department at the Calderdale Royal Hospital, will be used to treat age-related macular degeneration.
The condition, caused when abnormal blood vessels form on the retina at the back of the eye, is the leading cause of registered blindness in the Western world.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust is one of only three hospital trusts in West Yorkshire to offer the service.
Previously patients had to travel to Liverpool or Bradford to receive treatment, which can take up to two and a half years to complete.
Ophthalmic consultant, Mr Shafiq Rheman, said: "With the introduction of this therapy we hope to be able to further reduce the number of patients who suffer serious sight loss from this potentially devastating condition.
"Calderdale and Huddersfield ophthalmology patients who require photodynamic therapy will now benefit from swift and local treatment, closer to home."
Helen Thomson, director of nursing said: "The trust is committed to providing high quality healthcare by continually updating equipment and treatment to ensure the best possible care is available to patients."
In September 2003 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on the use of photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration within the NHS in England and Wales.
The guidelines stated the therapy added long term value and any patient who could benefit from the treatment would now be able to.
Ophthalmology staff at Calderdale Royal, Halifax, have received comprehensive training from the equipment supplier Novartis.
