Why deny little Jacob the op that would let him hear?
I AM happy for the elderly person in London who has been given a cochlear implant (Good Health), but our greatgrandson Jacob Ryan has been refused funding by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the same operation. He is four, profoundly deaf in one ear and almost deaf in the other; he can only make out sounds. Jacob can identify noise, but not as we hear it and his speech is restricted as a result. His consultant at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, said it was vital that he get an implant and has appealed against the decision on Jacob’s behalf. It took NICE almost a year to hear the appeal, only still to refuse. It was torture for my granddaughter. It seems NICE decided that because Jacob can hear some noise in one ear, that’s enough to refuse to fund his treatment, despite the consultant insisting it was absolutely necessary. Jacob is suffering on all these accounts despite help from the local authority.
We are desperate. We are trying every avenue to try to raise £40,000 to pay for it, including fund-raising on the internet ( youcaring.com/ helpjacobhear), because now Jacob is old enough to go to school, the surgery needs to be done as soon as possible. Jacob is bright, but is miles behind other children’s abilities of the same age. It feels that NICE has sentenced him to a life of unfair struggle. JOHN AND CHRISTINE POLLITT, Thetford, Norfolk.