Former MP 'had no clue' he had glaucoma before test

A former MP who has been living with glaucoma for 25 years said he had "absolutely no clue" anything was wrong with his sight until the condition was picked up at a routine eye test.

Paul Tyler, 83, who found out he had glaucoma during an eye test in Cornwall in 2001, said he was "lucky to live" somewhere where screening was available.

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has said more than half of high street optometrists have witnessed patients going blind from the condition because of late detection or delays in treatment.

Mr Tyler, who now lives in Gloucestershire, added: "I dread to think what would have happened if I hadn't had that diagnosis at that time."

"I had absolutely no clue that there was anything wrong," Mr Tyler said.

Described as the "silent thief of sight", glaucoma affects about 700,000 people in the UK.

It is usually caused by fluid building up in the front part of the eye, leading to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becoming damaged.

The condition does not usually cause any symptoms to begin with and can develop slowly over many years.

Mr Tyler, the former Liberal Democrats rural affairs spokesperson who became a life peer in 2005, said he remembers the day when he discovered he had glaucoma "precisely".

"It was the day of the [Twin] towers 9/11 in New York - when I went for my usual sight check," he said.

"I was an MP in rural Cornwall. I knew nothing about glaucoma. My eyes seemed to be fine.

"Like many people, I think you sort of take these things for granted. It is literally out of sight, isn't it. So, I was completely taken aback."

Since then he has has moved to Gloucestershire, where he said he can access an "enhanced glaucoma service".

As a result, the condition has had a minimal impact on his day-to-day life, he said.

"Glaucoma is the most extraordinary invisible illness - you have no notion whether there's something going wrong until probably it's too late," he said.

"In a matter of a couple of years, if I hadn't had that early diagnosis, I would have had to have given up my job, which would have been really devastating for me.

"I was very lucky - and thank my lucky stars that I had the right people at the right place at the right time."

A report by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists suggests cases could rise by 22% by 2035.

The AOP has also called for the government to commit to a national glaucoma pathway for England, working with high street opticians to ensure patients have equal access to treatment.

Adam Sampson, AOP chief executive, said the current approach to glaucoma in England was "failing the public".

"Each year, people are faced with the reality of permanent sight loss as a direct result of delays to care and inconsistencies in eye care provision," he said.

"But glaucoma services led by optometrists show that it does not need to be this way.

"We must ensure high street optometrists can protect the public by detecting, monitoring and treating glaucoma, and ease the burden on hospital eye services."

The Department of Health and Social Care, said regular sight tests "play a crucial role in the early detection of glaucoma".

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to access eye care by expanding the NHS services offered by high street opticians, as we shift healthcare into the community," a spokesperson said.

"Free NHS sight tests are available for many, including individuals diagnosed with glaucoma or aged 40 and over with a close family history of glaucoma."

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