NHS bosses have responded to concerns about the loss of a vital eye service in Coventry and Warwickshire. A patient spoke of the 'devastation' she now faces as the axe has fallen on the free use of Specsavers to provide urgent and community eye care appointments for locals.

"This is devastating for people like myself with complex eye conditions," the patient, named Julie, told a George Eliot Hospital and South Warwickshire Foundation Trust board meeting. "Getting an appointment at an emergency eye clinic at Coventry is almost impossible due to their triage system which is dysfunctional.

"The other option is to spend about £150 on a taxi fare to go to the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre in Birmingham and wait up to seven hours to be seen in urgent eye care. Whoever dreamed of this cra

See Full Page