A WOMAN says she feels like a ticking timebomb after she was told there was no money available to treat her in hospital for a problem with her veins which could develop into thrombosis.
Nicola Kantas, of Albert Street, Aylesbury, has had problems with her veins since she was 16 and had a valve fitted three years ago to reduce the blood flow which was a success until the pains reappeared recently, forcing the single mother to make an
emergency appointment at the doctor.
She said: "It felt like somebody was kicking me in the back of the leg. My doctor told me he couldn't refer me to a specialist because of the health cuts. He said there was no money there to help people like me."
Ms Kantas then began exploring what other avenues were open to her. She has now lodged an appeal to be seen by a doctor and will hear whether or not she has been successful in the next few weeks.
A spokesman for the Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust said, since February this year the treatment of varicose veins for patients not meeting certain criteria is not usually funded on the NHS.
He said: "Exceptional circumstances will always be considered on a confidential, anonymous case by case basis.
"As in this case, a patient's GP is able to appeal an initial decision by writing to the primary care trust highlighting the exceptional patient circumstances.
"The detail of each case is considered by a panel which includes a doctor, pharmaceutical advisor, lay members, a senior commissioning manager and a nurse."
This was first published in The Bucks Herald on September 6, 2006
