Father's fury after doctors sent his daughter, 3, to Specsavers because she had blurred vision but months later discovered a brain tumour that has now left her partially blind 

The father of a three-year-old girl left permanently blind in one eye talked of his anger after doctors told him to take her to Specsavers before eventually discovering she had a brain tumour.

Ben Diggle and Sally Sloane were left devastated after discovering that their tiny daughter Imogen had a tumour resting on her optic nerve which has now left her partially blind.

They must now suffer constant uncertainty because of where the tumour sits, which means surgeons can't operate or she risks losing sight in both eyes - or even do a biopsy to find out if it is cancerous.

Bad news: Ben Diggle is devastated after discovering that his tiny daughter Imogen has the tumour which rests on her optic nerve meaning doctors can't operate or she risks losing sight in both eyes

Sudden urgency: Imogen was rushed into hospital, left, for treatment on the tumour as soon as it was discovered. But her father had told doctors about his concerns months ago after noticing that her sight wasn't as developed as her twin brother George's

After months of being ignored, she is now having intensive chemotherapy after doctors rushed her in for an MRI scan when Mr Diggle finally demanded a hospital appointment. 

Mr Diggle, 28, first took Imogen to see his GP last October after he noticed that her vision wasn't as developed as her twin brother George's. 

But the doctor dismissed her sight problems and referred him to an optician. He took Imogen to Specsavers, who carried out an eye test but said Imogen was too young for it to show anything significant. He was told to return in six months.

But shortly afterwards, Mr Diggle, of Halifax, West Yorkshire, was persuaded by a physiotherapist to demand a referral to the hospital, which has more specialist equipment to test eyesight. 

Mr Diggle returned to his GP demanding he was taken seriously but the frustrated family were then forced to wait six weeks for the meeting.

They finally went to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in February and after a quick eye test, specialists rushed Imogen in for a two-hour MRI scan, for which she needed to be anaesthetised. Within an hour, they told Mr Diggle and partner Sally, 31, that she had a three cubic centimetre tumour in her brain.

Mr Diggle, an insurance claims handler, said: 'We were absolutely devastated when they told us. You think beforehand that you can be prepared for something bad but it's a shock when it hits you.

'We prepared ourselves for something because she needed to have anaesthetic and it took two hours but when you hear the word brain tumour, you don’t know what to think. 

'I can't believe that somebody that small has something that size inside her head.

'I had to make a little version of it, around the same size, with a ball of paper so I could try and understand what was happening to my daughter, to try and come to terms with it.'

Treatment: Doctors started Imogen on chemotherapy straight away to reduce the size of the tumour resting on her optic nerve

Happy times: George, left, and Imogen, right, hug for a family photo. They are twins but Imogen will be forced to live her life with a visual impairment due to the tumour

Doctors started chemotherapy straight away to reduce the size of the tumour resting on her optic nerve and optic chiasm but it is unlikely to be enough to save her sight. She has now been registered as severely sight impaired and has lost all vision in her left eye permanently.

If doctors operate now then Imogen risks losing sight in both eyes but she will have another MRI scan in September to see if the chemotherapy has successfully shrunk the tumour.

Mr Diggle said: 'The doctor said it probably won't get any worse, but I think they are hoping to maintain her condition rather than improve it.

'It doesn't look like it is going to improve but if it does it will be a miracle. Luckily, she's at that age where she's learning to do everything - and she's learning to do it with what she's got. It would be different if her sight was taken away when she was 12. She seems happy and not too deeply affected by it because it's what she knows.'

Doctors said they are unable to tell how long Imogen's tumour has been there without a biopsy, a procedure that they will not carry out because it could leave her blind. But her parents have been told it is a grade one tumour, which is the least aggressive kind.

Mr Diggle said: 'They don't know if it could have been treated sooner because they don't know how long it has been there. I'm confused and angry that they couldn't have looked at her sooner.

Drastic action: The three-year-old is having to endure the harsh treatment of chemotherapy which takes its toll on the body of full-grown adults and is making the toddler moody like a teenager, her father said

Happy families: Three-year-old Imogen Diggle (right) with mother Sally Sloane, father Ben, little brother Ruben and twin brother George

'I wasn't happy about waiting more than six weeks to see a specialist. I rang and pushed for an earlier appointment but they told me they couldn't fit her in unless there was a cancellation.

'I was upset that she couldn't be seen sooner. I don't have the time to keep ringing the hospital every day to see if there has been a cancellation.

'It was outrageous that a physiotherapist had to tell us that a hospital could do eye tests for her and I'm grateful that she did because we might not have done anything about it for another six months.'

Mr Diggle added: 'With her age we have played it all on positives. She knows she is poorly, but she knows she is going to get better.

'But I think the chemotherapy is turning her into a teenager as she is starting to get an attitude on her.

'Otherwise she is a normal kid. She loves playing in the play park and is always asking for McDonalds. She loves Mickey and Minnie Mouse as well as Frozen, she is always singing Let It Go.

'She is a lot braver that I would have been or anyone else I know would have been. It is quite inspiring the way she gets on with it.'

All the family can do now is wait until September to see if the chemotherapy has been affective. 

A statement on behalf of NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Groug said: 'NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group is unable to discuss cases concerning individual patients in the media.

'We encourage anyone who may have concerns about any of our services to contact us directly so that we can discuss any issues and investigate them further.'

Waiting game: The toddler will have another MRI scan in September to see if the tumour has reduced in size