David Thorpe writes to Tony Blair

Monday, 07 March 2005

The Right Honourable Tony Blair MP
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Dear Mr. Blair,

I am writing to you on behalf of the many people in this country who
are suffering from a condition called Borrelia burgdorferi , aka
Lyme Disease, who have been denied appropriate treatment by the
Department of Health. You may be aware of the harrowing story of
Christine Jennings that appeared in the media recently. Christine
was bitten by a deer tick in 1994 and now relies on a wheelchair, is
all but blind and in constant pain. After being denied appropriate
treatment for 10yrs Christine went on hunger strike in order to get
treatment. After 10 days of her hunger strike she was given a
referral to a so called expert but the night before she was due to
travel from her home in Leicestershire to Middlesborough, the
consultant telephoned to say that he knew nothing about Lyme Disease
and that the appointment was cancelled. This is a familiar story.
Many people have mortgaged their homes in order to seek treatment
abroad because they are unable to obtain correct diagnosis and
treatment in the UK. If the infected victim is not correctly
diagnosed within a certain time it is very difficult to detect under
the present testing regime. This can result in years of suffering
and even when a victim is proved to be suffering from second and
late stage Lyme Disease the standard treatment in the UK is a two
week course of antibiotics. American experts say that appropriate
treatment can be months if not years of constant antibiotics, often
by IV. The centre for reference with regard to Lyme testing in this
country is Southampton General Hospital where a test is used that
has been discredited by experts from the USA and other countries as
being unreliable. The same establishment says that Lyme Disease can
only be caught from a deer tick in places such as the New Forest,
yet research carried out by another hospital informs us that 98% of
bird ticks are infected with Lyme. The Department of Health claims
that diagnosis and treatment for Lyme Disease is available across
the NHS. The reality is that the average GP has never heard of Lyme
Disease. The Dept. of Health says that Lyme Disease is not an issue
in this country, yet another Government department identifies Lyme
as a possible future threat to public health in the UK. Other
European countries recognise the problem and make appropriate
treatment available. Telephone calls I have had from health care
professionals such as nurses would suggest that not only is the
Department of Health dragging its heels over the issue of Lyme
Disease, but there appears to be total indifference to the years of
pain & suffering endured by many citizens of this country.

What I would like to ask you Prime Minister, given your promises
regarding the ability of the NHS to deliver top class care and
treatment to the citizens of the UK, is when are you going to ensure
that the following are made available on the NHS?

· Appropriate information and support for GPs to enable them
to diagnose and treat/refer suspected cases of Lyme Disease at an
early stage when a short course of antibiotics could prevent years
of pain and suffering.

· Recognition within the Department of Health that hospital
consultants are sadly lacking in both their knowledge of Lyme
Disease and their willingness to admit as much.

· The testing regime for Lyme that is used in the UK takes
account of progress made in other countries such as USA and Germany.

· Funding for the most appropriate treatment available
regardless of the cost.

I, and the many sufferers in the UK await your reply with interest.


Yours sincerely


David W. Thorpe.
Councillor
cc National media

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