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UK NHS autologous serum eyedrops

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  • UK NHS autologous serum eyedrops

    NHS National Blood Service http://hospital.blood.co.uk/library/pdf/eye_drops.pdf
    'Some patients, for a variety of reasons, suffer from severe dryness of the eye that can lead to redness, itching and pain. Many can be helped by intensive treatment with artificial teardrops. However, for some patients these symptoms are not completely relieved. The National Blood Service (NBS) has recently developed an alternative to these artificial drops. They are called autologous serum eyedrops and are made from a patient’s own blood. These eyedrops naturally contain ingredients that are known to speed up healing and increase lubrication of the surface of the eye. Your Consultant has suggested that you may benefit from this type of treatment.'

    Some of us are noticing this service is more accessible this year, esp in regional hospital eye clinics. But some patients are still having difficulty getting referral even with diagnosed autoimmune conditions, Sjogrens, long-term thyroid disorders. Even though chemical eyedrops are causing worsening inflammation, sensitivity reactions, pain, damage.

    Has anyone in UK fought this access battle recently and won? Is it a case of doctor-shopping for a progressive and current consultant, or joining the right eye clinic?
    Paediatric ocular rosacea ~ primum non nocere

  • #2
    I had to fight this battle relatively recently and I won - or at least the consultant did. It was a treatment of last resort and the `request' took several months before I got a response. There was a lot of bureaucracy.

    From my chats with nurses at the Transfusion Unit, there are more people being referred for this than there used to be.

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    • #3
      Thanks, Irish. So very glad to hear you've finally got this, hope it brings relief and improvement.
      NHS service leaflet http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/tissueservic...21_10_2008.pdf
      'Patient referral - Referrals of patients for the Autologous Serum Eyedrops (ASE) programme will only be considered if they originate from consultant ophthalmologists. All referrals will be considered by an NHSBT Specialist Therapies Consultant.'

      Reading between the lines at our regional hosp, seems like 'severe dry eye with persistent epithelial defects + hypersensitivity in chronic use to normal artificial tear substitutes eg hypromellose' are criteria.
      Paediatric ocular rosacea ~ primum non nocere

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      • #4
        I actually got it agreed early last year - and yes, the relief was considerable.

        Re: criteria - correct.

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