Yorkshire woman has begged her local MP the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for help as her "life-changing" treatment is withdrawn
Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) makes those with it feel dizzy, have heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and may even cause them to faint just because of their increased heart rate when standing up.
Fainting is the main danger to Danielle Hughes-Francis, 38, who fears going back to how she was before saline fluid infusions gave her independence back.
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Hide AdAs The Yorkshire Post reported in June, this treatment was deemed only a short-term measure, and from July 2 Mrs Hughes-Francis and tens of patients treated in the York area stopped receiving the infusions.
Speaking while receiving her final infusion at Askham Bar Community Care Centre, Mrs Hughes-Francis said: “I feel really unsettled because obviously, I don’t know what the future is going to look like.
“I’ve not really slept properly all week.
“I feel really emotional.”
Mrs Hughes-Francis has been trying to get the support of her local MP, who just so happens to be the Prime Minister.
“I sent an email to the drug and therapeutics committee and copied Rishi and quite a few other people in,” she said.
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Hide Ad“And then he said he was going to follow up with the drug and therapeutics committee once they had received my email.
“But I’ve not heard anything yet.
“Everything I’ve got is riding on that at the minute.
“I’m pinning everything I’ve got on Rishi.”
Mrs Hughes-Francis has also set up a petition to get the infusions back for her and others with PoTS.
A spokesperson for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was its “finite capacity” that partly led to the withdrawal of the treatment.
“The evidence supporting this treatment only does so as a short-term measure and as such the trust has taken the difficult decision that this treatment can no longer be offered,” the spokesperson said.
“We don’t take these decisions lightly and we are sorry for the inconvenience and distress that this causes for patients.”
Rishi Sunak’s office has been approached on Mrs Hughes-Francis situation.