Our medical negligence solicitors are acting on behalf of patients who received EyeCee One lenses as part of their eye surgery. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raised safety concerns about the product used in cataract surgery, resulting in a recall on a number of Eyecee One / Eycee One Crystal preloaded lenses made between September 2021 and November 2022.
This has had a serious impact on many people including some of our existing clients. One client was recently featured on BBC News, illustrating the impact on their life after receiving the lenses. You can view the EyeCee BBC article here.
The manufacturers of the product reported that following their own investigation , they discovered a problem with these lenses in that a coating used in the injector used to help administer the lens has been found to obstruct the natural drainage pathways in the eye. This typically results in an increase in pressure in the eye known as raised intraocular pressure (IOP). This can result in the eye being permanently damaged if untreated and potentially a loss of vision. A number of patients who received EyeCee One Lenses have contacted Patient Claim Line for support and guidance about what they can do. If you have been affected, you can contact us for a free initial chat to talk through your options.
What action has been taken in relation to EyeCee One Lenses safety concerns
A field safety notice that was issued said the use of the affected lots of lens could result in sustained elevated pressure in the eye and patients who have been implanted with one of the lenses should be monitored and if any signs of raised IOP arise, they should be referred for urgent treatment.
How can patients be affected by defective EyeCee One Lenses?
The MHRA also stated that reduced vision would only occur if patients were not treated and that complications could be due to a coating used on the injector used to administer the lenses which could have serious impacts if not treated.
The patient safety alert issued by the MHRA in January 2023 gave Trusts two weeks to contact patients for further tests and set up a rapid access pathway for those with higher pressure.
One of the Trusts using the product was Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust. The trust is actively inviting around 1,000 affected patients for checks. The latest Field Safety notice requires all affected lenses to be returned to the manufacturer.
NHS England has previously recorded that ‘a minority of NHS Trusts have suspended the use of EyeCee One lenses used for cataract surgery, while any patient who has had surgery involving these products in recent months will be contacted by their clinician for an assessment – but it is expected that only a fraction will need further treatment’. Whether this suspension continues for non-affected lenses is yet to be seen.
Can I make a legal claim if I have been impacted by defective EyeCee One Lenses?
If you have been impacted by defective EyeCee One lenses, you should speak to a medical negligence expert about pursing a claim. Contact our medical negligence team who are vastly experienced in pursuing claims for defective medical equipment. We’re already supporting patients directly impacted by the lenses and have also successfully settled cases for other complicated Group Actions. The team at Patient Claim Line have the skills and experience to guide you through your claim, and keep you up to date along the way – with no upfront costs to you. For further reassurance we work with a No Win, No Fee agreement which meaning there would be no financial risk to you and if your claim is unsuccessful so you will have nothing to pay.
Christian Beadell, Head of Group Actions within the medical negligence team at Patient Claim Line, said: “We are urgently investigating the circumstances of this recall on behalf of our clients who has been recalled for an urgent review.
“They are understandably very anxious about the reports of increased pressure in the eye, and that this procedure could affect their sight.
“It is extremely troubling that either the use of this product or the product itself could have such severe consequences. We welcome the swift and forthright action of the manufacturers in seeking a recall of the affected batches”
Key allegations
A coating used in the injector used to help administer the lens has been found to obstruct the natural drainage pathways in the eye
Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust, is inviting around 1,000 affected patients for checks
A minority of NHS Trusts have suspended the use of EyeCee One lenses used for cataract surgery
At least 20 NHs Trusts have suspended the use of the lenses
In addition to the defective lenses being recalled, the field safety notice issued on 13th July; around 20 Trusts are believed to have also suspended the use of the product, and the MHRA has instructed trusts to recall patients who have had surgery since October 2022 pointing to that between 2% and 4% of patients could have complications.
Have you been impacted?
If you have been affected after receiving EyeCee One Lenses and want to know if you have a claim, we are happy to have a no-obligation chat. We worked solely on a No Win, No Fee basis which means there is no financial risk to you.. Get in touch with our specialist team and they will guide you through next steps and how we can help.
Find out if you can claimOur team of experts will support you all the way
Our Group Actions team is led by Christian Beadell and Francesca Paul. They are supported by Sion Wynne, and a dedicated team of talented medical negligence solicitors. The team forms part of a wider medical negligence department, with Peter Rigby at the helm. Our Group Actions team specialises in bringing forward collective clinical negligence claims against a single defendant, and have a track record of successfully securing compensation for our clients.
Peter Rigby
Director of Medical Negligence
Peter leads the Medical Negligence Serious Injury department, which now boasts some of our most knowledgeable, dedicated and hardworking team members.
Peter is dedicated to supporting victims of catastrophic medical negligence injuries and endeavours to provide a clear and coherent approach to claims. He recognises the effects serious injuries can have and therefore ensures his customers’ need for support is met. Peter also has a vast amount of experience working with customers who have been injured abroad and is able to act under international law to provide the best outcomes.
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Christian Beadell
Partner, Head of Strategy and Legal Operations
Christian is Head of Medical Negligence at Patient Claim Line and has specialised in clinical negligence claims since qualifying in 1998; having dealt with a wide variety of claims throughout his career. He is also featured in the Legal 500 as a recommended claimant solicitor in the North West.
Christian qualified as a solicitor in 1998, specialising in clinical negligence. From 2010 onward he has had a particular interest in gynaecological and urogynaecological claims, having represented several hundred claimants in the George Rowland Litigation against the Liverpool Women’s and Aintree Hospitals. This investigated the treatment given to women in the Merseyside area over several decades, and in particular focused on the introduction and development of mesh into the UK in both the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The development of this area involved pursuing claims under a unique ADR protocol with the NHS and also looking to develop the current thinking on the valuation of compensation for complex urinary symptoms. He has successfully recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation on behalf of my clients.
Christian was also involved in setting up and chairing a Claimant Support Group for those involved in the Rowland litigation, which provided a discussion forum for the many women who were left isolated and damaged by negligent gynaecological treatment. He now co-ordinates the firm’s mesh claims and has delivered training and commented extensively on the medico-legal implications of urogynaecological / mesh complications. He is a member of APIL, Liverpool Law Society and Legal 500 recommended.
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Francesca Paul
Associate Solicitor
Francesca Paul is an Associate, Senior Solicitor and Team Leader within the Clinical Negligence Department. She is one of the driving Solicitors in the Group Litigation Team dealing with this niche and specialist area of work that Fletchers undertakes.
Francesca previously worked in Nottingham, dealing with Group Action work. She now works at Fletchers, bringing with her those years of experience heading up a team of 10 people. Francesca is involved in the early identification of potential new Group Litigation Work and analyses information from the collective pool of new enquiries into the business, of which there are hundreds per week looking for hot spots or recurrent issues which might suggest a potential pool of Claimants.
One of the highlights for Francesca and her team is that they have successfully recovered over a million pounds in compensation for clients who have received treatment from a single orthopaedic surgeon who was operating in the Colchester area. Her role requires a specific set of skills, patience and a forensic approach to detail whilst being able to see the wider picture.
Francesca has previously acted for a claimant in a case that reached the Supreme Court in the case of NA v Nottinghamshire County Council.
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Sion Wynne
Senior Solicitor
Sion is a team leader and senior solicitor with many years’ experience in dealing with a wide range of medical specialisms and different types of injuries. He is an experienced medical negligence solicitor and manages a team of lawyers within our department.
Sion joined Fletchers in 2018 as a Team Leader in the Medical Negligence Department. Throughout his 24 year legal career, he has specialised in conducting medical negligence claims on behalf of Claimants, previously working for other highly ranked leading firms in the field.
He has undertaken claims covering the full spectrum of medical specialisms, clinical settings, categories of defendant and types of negligent medical care and treatment.
These include high value and complex maximum severity cases, such as those involving limb amputations and permanent neurological injuries.
Sion is experienced at representing bereaved families at inquests and has a particular interest in fatal accident claims.
Notable Cases
JI v Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust: £1.25m recovered for client left paraplegic after spinal anaesthesia.
RS v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £150,000 recovered for client in respect of a failure to recognise complications after a kidney transplant, where her father was the donor.
JN v MA: £100,000 recovered for a client who suffered 2 years persistent pain and disability after knee replacement surgery undertaken as a private patient.
CS v Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: £400,000 recovered for a child who sustained Erb’s palsy during her delivery.
WO’C (Deceased) v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; £450,000 recovered for the family of the deceased who died as a result of a delay in diagnosing a brain tumour.
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