Man with five stone growth on his stomach told NHS hospital won’t remove it
Alan Bromyard, a 48-year-old man, is facing distress as the NHS has declined to fund surgery to remove a massive five-stone lump from his abdomen, citing it as “cosmetic.” The large lymphedema has been affecting Mr. Bromyard for almost two years, severely impacting his daily life. Despite a recent severe sepsis episode that led to a 14-day hospitalization, the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has rejected his funding request on two occasions. Expressing his anguish, Mr. Bromyard stated, “I nearly died. It hangs down to my knees, it’s a right mess and needs to be removed. They class the operation as cosmetic and say that’s why I can’t have the funding. It’s a 5st lump of fluid, I can’t lose it through dieting so what are they expecting me to do? I need help, I’m heartbroken.”
The condition has forced Mr. Bromyard to give up his beloved activities, such as farming and fishing. “I have farmed all my adult life but I had to sell them because I couldn’t work them anymore,” he explained. “I was out fishing or shooting most weekends. Now I’m just in bed. I can’t go up the stairs, I can’t drive to my appointments. My knees and hips have gone. I’m missing my life because of this.” Describing the daily struggle, he likened the feeling to “carrying a dead-weight toddler around all the time” and highlighted the challenges he faces, including leakage, breakdown, and high bandage costs.
Despite his surgeon recommending crucial surgery and emphasizing the significant benefits he would attain, two funding applications for an apronectomy procedure to remove excess skin from the lower abdomen were denied. The surgery was deemed necessary in an application letter to manage a large abdominal pannus severely affecting Mr. Bromyard’s mood and daily activities. Following the rejections, a third funding request is being prepared by his surgeon, GP, and the head of the lymphedema clinic at Nottingham University Hospitals, where Mr. Bromyard is receiving treatment.
While an NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB spokesperson affirmed the inability to comment on individual cases, they explained the process for exceptional circumstances where treatments are not typically available on the NHS. Each funding request is evaluated by a screening panel composed of healthcare professionals to ensure fair and transparent decision-making based on the best available evidence. Despite facing setbacks, Mr. Bromyard remains hopeful for a positive outcome to alleviate his distressing condition and reclaim his quality of life.