A WOMAN who appealed to health bosses to save the sight in one of her eyes is celebrating after a U-turn made money available for urgent treatment.

Linda Atkinson, of The Sidings, Darwen, feared going blind in her right eye after the Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust refused £7,000 funding for Photodynamic Therapy(PDT) -- a new treatment where drugs are injected into the eye to kill abnormal cells.

But 45-year-old Mrs Atkinson was thrilled when the Trust changed its mind after the case was highlighted in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and following the intervention of Nigel Robinson, from Blackburn Community Health Council.

"Without Nigel's help we really wouldn't have got anywhere," said Mrs Atkinson today. "I can't thank him enough.

"And if it wasn't for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph I wouldn't have known who to call for help."

Mrs Atkinson, who is married with a 16-year-old daughter, was diagnosed in January with age-related macular degeneration(AMD).

She applied for a grant to pay for PDT after a specialist advised it would stop her sight from deteriorating but it was turned down.

Mrs Atkinson, who works for Mortimer's Estate Agents in Darwen, was worried she would lose her job and would need to borrow around seven thousand pounds to pay for treatment.

She met with health watchdog Mr Robinson after he learned about her plight from the Evening Telegraph last week.

He challenged the Trust's decision and said he was told the funding had been refused under policy guidelines set by the Health Authority and because there was limited evidence that PDT was a successful treatment for a person of Mrs Atkinson's age group.

Mr Robinson then wrote a letter to Vivien Aspey, Chief Executive of the Trust, stating he had no knowledge of any such policy and that three consultant opthalmologists had agreed the PDT would benefit Mrs Atkinson.

He also pointed out that the Trust had set a precedent by agreeing funding for another AMD patient in February this year.

Mr Robinson said he then received a phone call confirming funding would be given after all.

When asked about Mrs Atkinson's case David Brunskill, of the Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust, said: "In the light of additional information we reviewed our position."