A HEALTH campaigner is angry that he had to drive to London to get the treatment he needed to save his sight.

Graham Maloney, 58, from Yarm, near Stockton, became concerned about his vision after developing diabetes.

An optician detected changes to the back of Mr Maloney's eye and recommended that he should be photographed by a special camera that can pick up signs of a condition known as diabetic retinopathy, which, if left untreated, can seriously damage vision.

Mr Maloney, who took a leading role in the campaign to get disgraced North-East surgeon Richard Neale struck off the medical register, asked his GP to make an appointment to have his eyes checked.

However, he was told that the diabetic retinophy screening service, using the specialist camera, had not been available in the North Tees Primary Care Trust (PCT) area for several years due to the equipment becoming outdated.

Mr Maloney then tried to get an appointment at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, but was told that the camera service was only available to South Tees residents.

"It is appalling that ten miles down the road you can have this service and ten miles the other way you can't," he said.

Increasingly worried about his sight, and experiencing bouts of blurriness, Mr Maloney drove overnight to central London, where he demanded to see a specialist at the famous Moorfields eye hospital.

"I saw a consultant privately. I had a bit of laser treatment which corrected the problem and probably stopped me going blind," said Mr Maloney, whose treatment so far has cost £1,800.

After raising the issue with North Tees PCT, Mr Maloney has been told that there are plans to restore the specialist camera service in November.

The unit is due to open at Thornaby Health Centre later this year and will be available for North of Tees patients, including patients in Hartlepool.

Diabetes UK care advisor Roopinder Brar said: "It is not acceptable for someone with diabetes not to have access to digital screening."

It is estimated that about two million people in the UK are diabetic.

A spokeswoman for North Tees Primary Care Trust said: "Retinal screening has always been part of the diabetic screening process for both newly-diagnosed and existing diabetic patients.

"Patients are recalled annually as part of that process and this service has continued for North Tees patients.

"As part of a Government initiative to improve retinophy services, a camera has been purchased, staff have been appointed and a recall service has been established."

A spokeswoman for James Cook University hospital said: "We are sorry he feels upset and would welcome him to call us to discuss the matter further."