Ex-government minister suddenly loses eyesight

A former Welsh government minister has revealed that he has suddenly lost the vision in one eye.

Mick Antoniw, who used to be the Welsh government's senior legal officer, had sight-saving surgery within 24 hours of waking up with "cloudy" vision.

A friend urged the Pontypridd Member of the Senedd (MS) to go to an optician, who referred him to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital at Llantrisant, which sent him to the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London for an emergency operation.

Mr Antoniw, 70, who could have lost the sight permanently if he had not been treated quickly, praised Specsavers and the NHS, and said he wanted to share his experience because he was "so incredibly impressed" with his treatment.

He initially thought his blurry vision would clear up, but went to the optician in Pontypridd on Friday morning after a friend told him he should.

After Specsavers sent him to the Royal Glamorgan, he said more tests revealed internal bleeding in the eye and a possible tear of the retina.

Early on Saturday morning he took a train to London, visiting Moorfields Eye Hospital, where he had a "fairly substantial" operation.

"It shows how important your senses are," he told BBC Wales News.

"If I hadn't gone the same day, there was a risk of me losing my sight permanently."

The Labour MS, 70, a former counsel general and minister for the constitution, is of Ukrainian origin, and is well known for his support of Ukraine during the war with Russia.

He described his treatment during his health scare as "brilliant".

"They did the scans and said you've got to go to the hospital and there will be a doctor there waiting for you," he said.

"If I hadn't been treated quickly there was a risk I could have permanently lost the sight in my eye," he said.

He said his eyesight should return "gradually over the next few weeks", but that he has been told he must not do anything that could cause pressure to the eye.

"Reading is an issue so I'm very limited in some of the work I was planning to do," he said.,

He has also had to cancel a trip as he cannot travel, but "your eyesight is more important".

Mr Antoniw said the issue with his eye was unexpected.

"I've had floaters [in the eye] before, but I'm 70 years old, so that's quite common. But then my eyesight was completely lost," he said.

"Hopefully I'll make a full recovery, but it just shows how incredible the NHS is.

"I know it has its challenges, but when you need it the level of skill and expertise is remarkable," he said.