A pioneering eye treatment recently introduced to England is being used for the first time at two East Sussex hospitals.

The sight-improvement treatment is being tried out by consultant ophthalmogists Manzar Saeed Pieter Gouws at Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards.

They are using a new injection to treat a condition called wet macular degeneration, which affects around 250,000 people in the UK.

Macular degeneration is damage to, or breakdown of, a small area at the back of the eye that allows people to see fine details clearly.

Around 175 out of the 2,500 or more people registered blind in East Sussex are believed to suffer from the condition.

Mr Saeed said: "This condition is very common amongst the elderly population and up until recently there was no effective treatment available.

"There is now a new injection which has been found for the first time to improve vision in most patients.

"The drug was licensed earlier this year and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence are currently appraising its results.

"We have seen very positive results so far.

"This is great news for East Sussex because patients who previously needed the treatment would be referred to Brighton or London."

Not all patients are suitable for this procedure and they have to undergo an assessment beforehand to make sure they are suitable.

If a patient receives the go-ahead, they receive an injection each month for three months and then further injections may be needed for one or two years.