DAMON WILKINSON
APENSIONER who says she lost almost all her sight in her left eye after doctors failed to correctly diagnose what was wrong has been awarded a six-figure payout.
The 69-year-old, from Stockport, has been awarded £375,000 in an out-of-court settlement split between the NHS and Specsavers. It comes after independent experts said she may have had 80 per cent better vision if the correct treatment had been carried out in time.
The woman, who asked not to be named, says the loss of sight in her left eye led her to take the decision with her husband to close their long-running family business earlier than planned.
She said: “It has been really difficult to adapt to only really having effective vision in one eye and that has had a big impact on life.”
The woman first went to her opticians, Specsavers in Merseyway, Stockport, on New Year’s Eve in 2013, complaining of blurred vision, but the optician could find no cause.
She returned two weeks later as she was suffering from ‘floaters’ in her left eye but was told it was probably age-related and a nonurgent referral to see hospital specialists was made. But a fortnight later she says she lost the sight in her eye, which was also red and sore.
She was then told to go straight to Stepping Hill Hospital, where she was incorrectly diagnosed with ‘lazy eye.’
But when a scan was performed on her eye a year after making her initial complaint it was discovered she had macular oedema, a condition which can cause permanent loss of vision if left untreated. Her case was due to be heard in front of a civil court judge next month, but the NHS and Specsavers offered an outof-court settlement which was accepted by the woman. The trust contributed £337,500.
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust was approached for a comment.
A spokesman for Specsavers said: “We are unable to comment on the individual case but we would like to wish the customer well with any on-going treatment she may be receiving.”