NHS England to fund Bionic Eye surgery

NHS England has announced that it will provide funding for further testing of the Argus II, also known as the Bionic Eye for ten patient in 2017.

The patients will undergo surgery to tackle Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), an inherited disease that causes blindness, with the procedures will take place at Manchester Eye Hospital (MREH) and Moorfields Eye Hospital from 2017.

Funded through the Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) scheme, procedures will take place during 2017 and patients will then be monitored for a period of one year, during which they will be assessed on how the implants improve their everyday lives.

Surgeons at Manchester and Moorfields Eye Hospital made history by delivering the world’s first trial of the Argus II Bionic Eye implants in RP.

Patients using the system are given an implant into their retina and a camera mounted on a pair of glasses sends wireless signals direct to the nerves which control sight, with the signals then ‘decoded’ by the brain as flashes of light.

Dr Jonathan Fielden, Director of Specialised Commissioning and Deputy National Medical Director, NHS England, said: “This highly innovative NHS-funded procedure shows real promise and could change lives. The NHS has given the world medical innovations ranging from modern cataract surgery, new vaccines and hip replacements. Now once again the NHS is at the forefront of harnessing ground-breaking science for the benefit patients in this country.”

Professor Paulo Stanga from Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, University of Manchester, who performed Keith’s surgery, says: “I’m delighted that our pioneering research has provided the evidence to support NHS England’s decision to fund the bionic eye for the first time for patients. It surpassed all of our expectations when we realised that one of the RP patients in Manchester using the bionic eye could identify large letters for the first time in his adult life.”