"Failing to fund treatment application"

In March 2014 I attended at my GP to apply for funding for a condition I have Belly Palsy ... Half of my face is partially paralyzed.

My GP was not interested in me nor my condition and my consultation lasted about 45 seconds.

The following day the GP telephones me to say they would complete a letter of referral to the clinic in Manchester Eye Hospital. This letter was not completed, and as in the May I telephoned the Eye Clinic to check that my letter had been received it hadn't.

I then had to make further telephone calls to my GP surgery to try to trace the letter and get one sent.

In Sept 2014 I attended at the Manchester Eye Clinic at had the most wonderful multi disciplinary consultation that I could have imagined. All very positive.

The consultants all 5 of them agreed that my only option for treatment would be at a specialist clinic in Manchester. This would be done via an Individual Funding request to be completed by my GP. Great I thought.

Not so, my GP point blank refused to complete the forms, I had to telephone the head of my Clinical Commissioning group who forced their hand. The forms were eventually completed and then I waited, and, waited and waited.

In January 2015 I was approved by my CCG for an assessment on the grounds of exceptionality. I then thought I was on my way to treatment.

In March 2015 I received news not via my GP or the clinical commissioning group that I was not going to receive funding for my treatment, that I could appeal and my GP could appeal. I then decided to appeal their decision and asked my GP to appeal.

In June 2015 I received information that my appeal had not been successful again not from my GP or CCG.

During the 15 month process ( bear in mind it should only take 6 months ) I asked for information via letters and over the telephone.

My letters were responded to within the NHS guidelines my telephone calls were all met with I don't know or its data protected.

No one would disclose policies or process, no guidelines for the process had been sent to me, no one would give me any information about the process. My CCG`s web site was of no help, there is also no support for those who want to appeal.

Alarmingly the information that I do have is at the request of clinical staff they were asked to avoid wherever possible direct communication with patients.

I have read the NHS constitution and laughed. My CCG is a nationally funded body. I do not know why they are so secretive, do not know why they refuse to share information, will not give any help to the patient and quite obviously want to keep the patient as far away from the whole process i feel.

I am now awaiting to see my appeal rejection letter to see what my options are. As there is no treatment for me via the NHS I guess I have a choice to find the money to self fund or just to plod on suffering with no hope.

This is a ruinous process with the NHS i feel.