Sight saving Wirral doctor is given top award

Sep 9 2009 by Kevin Core, Birkenhead News

A SURGEON whose campaign to cut red tape saved the sight of over 400 people has been nominated for a major award.

Mr Som Prasad, consultant ophthalmologist and clinical director at Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, won the right to give his patients Lucentis a year before it was approved by an NHS funding body.

Costing £2,700 per treatment, the drug had been proved to stop Wet Macular Degeneration, one of the most common causes of blindness in the elderly.

Mr Prasad convinced Wirral NHS Trust to allow him to use the drug as soon as he diagnosed the condition, rather than go through a time consuming funding bid, resulting in quick treatments.

He was nominated for the award by Joan Davies, leader of Wirral Macular Disease Society.

The Macular Disease Society’s award ceremony takes place at the organisation’s conference later this month in London.

He said: “The nomination is wonderful and I’m very grateful.

“Across the country a lot of Trusts are now catching up with Wirral and it’s excellent that we were one of the first areas to provide this service.”

The Macular Disease Society’s chief executive, Tom Bremridge, said: “These awards are to recognise the excellent work which goes on and I am delighted that Mr Prasad has been nominated.

“Macular Disease can be a frightening condition but often patients are able to enjoy life and make the best of their vision because of the wonderful work so many people do.”

Some recipients of the drug described phenomenal results, finding they no longer had to prepare for total blindness.

Wirral Macular Disease Society can be contacted on 0845 241 2041.