A hospital in Bushey will be the first to pilot a new programme that will treat the leading cause of blindness in people over 60.

Spire Bushey Hospital's Opthalmic unit will be offering CentraSight - a treatment programme for end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

AMD is a disease that attacks a part in the back of the eye responsible for detailed vision. It results in a people having blurred sight that makes recognising faces and daily activities difficult.

It is the most common cause of blindness in elderly people in the UK - there are more than 600,000 people currently living with the condition.

There is no cure for AMD and it cannot be corrected by glasses.

CentraSight will use a tiny telescope implant - smaller than a pea, to improve vision and the quality of life.

The telescope will magnify images by three times and then project it onto the healthy part of the retina, making it possible to again use the central vision we rely on to recognise faces and see objects in front of us.

Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Jeremy Joseph is heading the CentraSight team at the Bushey hospital.

He said: "I am excited to be able to offer our patients the programme. This is a potentially life-changing option for people with severe AMD.

"The innovative technology is backed up by data showing at least five years of sustained improvement in vision and patients are well supported by the care programme that CentraSight provides."

The hospital will hold its first CentraSight clinic on Thursday, August 27.

For more information on CentraSight treatment programme call 0800 002 9998.