Eye patients in danger of going blind without a sight-saving drug are still being denied the treatment – until vision in both eyes is at risk.

People with age-related macular degeneration were boosted after Dudley Primary Care Trust announced all patients who met clinical criteria would get Lucentis injections to halt the disease.

But it has emerged one of the criteria is that both eyes must be damaged to secure treatment.

David Evans, of Lawnswood Avenue, Wordsley, says the policy has forced him to go private to safeguard his sight and “quality of life”.

“Lucentis is only offered when the second eye develops the disease and probably after some damage has been done already. It would be far preferable to halt the disease in the first eye while there is still some good vision left in it,” he said.

“Otherwise, one could finish up with just peripheral vision in that eye and with the second eye progressing to the same state before Dudley PCT will fund treatment.

“Dudley PCT is taking a step in the right direction but it is unlikely to be enough for the majority of patients to avoid the worst effects of this disease unless funding is made available for early treatment of the first eye.”

Since April 2007, Dudley Primary Care Trust has funded just two out of 43 requests for Lucentis, which costs up to £15,000 per year, and said it was because the cases were “exceptional.”

But following criticism from Tory prospective parliamentary candidate Margot James, the trust said this month all patients who meet clinical criteria when they see their consultant will receive funding for it.