Delays in the treatment of glaucoma are costing some of the hundreds of thousands of people affected their sight, according to a new report from the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB), which looks into safety concerns in the NHS in England. And, given pressures on the service, it is fair to assume that those living elsewhere in the UK are at risk too. Glaucoma is an umbrella term for a number of related conditions that can result in damage to the optic nerve, leading to visual loss (normally starting with peripheral vision). Primary open-angle glaucoma is responsible for about three quarters of cases and leads to an increase in pressure within the eye that causes progressive nerve damage, which often goes unnoticed by the individual…

Source: The Times January 13, 2020 17:03 UTC