Anger as baby boy denied NHS help

10:53am Thursday 24th April 2008

Comments (3)   Have your say »

AN angry mother has criticised health trust bosses who have refused to pay for life-changing treatment for her three-monthold son.

Kaen Mawdesley, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was born with torticollis, a tightening of the neck muscles.

This has led to plagiocephaly, a flattening of the skull, commonly known as flat head syndrome.

The baby's mother, Lynn, of Knotto Bottom Way, is raising money to pay for private treatment which will involve Kaen being fitted with a helmet to correct the shape of his skull.

Mrs Mawdesley said North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust had refused to offer the treatment, saying it was a "cosmetic" procedure.

She said: "How can they class it as cosmetic? Some people have teeth braces fitted on the NHS. To me, that is more a cosmetic thing than Kaen's condition."

Mother-of-three Mrs Mawedesley is worried that her son could be bullied in later years. Left untreated, torticollis can lead to facial asymmetry in children.

Kaen is to have the helmet fitted at a clinic, in Leeds, next month, at a cost of almost £2,000.

His family has raised more than £1,000 for the treatment, but Mrs Mawdesley and her husband, Darren, are appealing for more help.

She said: "We want him to have the treatment as soon as possible, so it is difficult finding the time to organise specific fundraising events in such a short space of time.

"We would be really grateful for any donations people are able to give."

A spokesman for the primary care trust said it would only consider cases for treatment that are not routinely commissioned if the patient's consultant believes it appropriate.

He said: "The trust operates an individual case panel to look at cases with exceptional circumstances.

The role of the panel is to consider the clinical and cost effectiveness of a treatment for a patient."

Mrs Mawdesley said she did not want to take the case to the panel because she was keen for her son to be treated as soon as possible.

Anyone who is able to help Kaen is asked to call Mrs Mawdesley on 07591-487127.