Great strides for Harvey as NHS changes funding rules

Wednesday, 12 November 2008

A TODDLER whose legs were amputated after he caught meningitis will be given free NHS treatment for the first time after strict laws were slackened last Tuesday.
Harvey Parry, three, of Northern Avenue, had both legs amputated in March last year just a week after learning to walk.
His 46-year-old parents, Carol and Jonathan, took him to New York in June after raising £25,000 thanks to generous donations from Advertiser readers, for state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs because all those offered by the NHS proved too painful.
They returned last Friday after a second trip for physiotherapy, which cost about £5,000.
Following a four-month review, the government ruled that free healthcare will no longer be denied to those who choose to pay to go private for some of their treatment.
The landmark government ruling last Tuesday means Harvey will now be eligible to receive the ongoing physiotherapy on the NHS.
Carol, who lobbied the government for the ban to be lifted in June, added: “This is long overdue and people with cancer who want to prolong their life with drugs not available on the NHS won’t be penalised.
“It means I can buy my son legs privately and get NHS physiotherapy in future. The system out there in America puts ours to shame.”
Harvey will need new legs every eight months until he stops growing. The family’s next trip to the US will be in February if they can raise a further £22,000 for the trip.
Carol added: “I have to keep raising money. Harvey’s doing well and I can’t say to him, ‘Sorry, I can’t afford it’.”
Donations can be made to the Harvey Parry Appeal Fund at Barclays Bank, Epsom branch, account number 10628034, sort code 20 29 90.

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