NHS managers have reversed their ban on a drug preventing people going blind following the threat of legal action.

Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust has agreed that from Wednesday, August 1, patients with wet macular degeneration will be allowed to have Lucentis to combat their condition.

The move comes after the Royal National Institute of Blind People announced plans earlier this month to take court action against the PCT.

But, despite the decision, hundreds of patients will still be prevented from having the medication because they do not fit strict clinical criteria, such as widow Sybil Wood, 77, of Stockleys Road, Northway, Oxford.

The widow, who is currently paying privately for Lucentis, will be denied the treatment because she is not already blind in one eye.

We reported last month that although Lucentis is licensed in the UK for use for wet macular degeneration, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) still has to decide whether it can be used by the NHS.

Despite issuing preliminary guidelines, allowing the drug to be used by patients fitting strict criteria, Oxfordshire PCT has had a blanket ban, unlike neighbouring PCTs which have prescribed it on a case-by-case basis.

The RNIB, which threatened legal action on behalf of Henley war veteran Dennis Devier, gave the PCT's turnaround a cautious welcome.

Head of campaigns, Steve Winyard, said: "We understand the 'clinical criteria' that Oxfordshire PCT will be using will mean only patients who have already gone blind in one eye will qualify for treatment if they go on to develop wet AMD in the other eye.

"This is unacceptable. There's a moral imperative to save the sight of people where we can and everyone who has wet AMD should have access to immediate treatment."

Oxfordshire PCT said it had decided to fund Lucentis following "careful consideration" by its clinical executive committee, which had been consulting doctors since January.

Public health director Dr Jonathan McWilliam said: "It's always difficult to introduce new drugs when it's not clear who'll benefit most. There are no firm national rules to guide us and local PCTs have worked hand-in-hand with local clinicians to make a decision about the interim clinical criteria.

"The PCT is disappointed with the delay in Nice issuing its final guidance. This would have helped us all do the same thing at the same time across the country.

"We felt we should make this decision as quickly as possible, despite the complexities involved, so as to avoid delay for the people of Oxfordshire. I'm delighted those who need this treatment most can now have access to it through their doctors using our local criteria."