A Scottish soldier who lost both his legs while serving for the British Army in Afghanistan has been told he can no longer continue to receive specialist treatment in England.
Lance Corporal Callum Brown said staff at the Queen Elizabeth Birmingham Trust hospital, which houses experts in amputee and veteran care, said NHS England could no longer provide funding.
The 28-year-old, from the west coast Scottish town of Ayr, was injured by a bomb blast during a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011 and airlifted home.
However, during his latest visit to the hospital, he told the Daily Record: “When I was down there, a senior member of staff told me that he was ashamed to say that they could no longer treat me there.
“He said it was because the English NHS would no longer foot the bill for me there since I wasn’t from England.
“I am sitting here without my legs because I fought for this country. This is the ultimate slap in the face. I am still in shock and can barely get my head around it.”
The soldier, who said he remained in “constant pain”, had been forced to conduct his wedding to then girlfriend Laura Taylor at the hospital as a result of his poor health.
NHS sources told The Independent that in cases where a patient is not residing in England, but in another UK country, hospitals are required to apply for funding from that country.
A statement from the NHS trust that runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham said it had “arranged for two more follow-up appointments for Mr Brown in order to determine the effectiveness of his latest cycle of treatment.
“If he needs further treatment within the Trust we would need to seek pre-approved funding from NHS Scotland,” the trust said.
Mr Brown has previously admitted to breaking the law and taking cannabis, which he insists helps with the pain, exacerbated by the fact that he has no skin on his posterior.
“I shouldn’t have to be a criminal to get something that eases my pain and makes life easier.”
He fears that if he isn’t given the specialist treatment at Queen Elizabeth – which has experts specific to his injuries – he might “end up dead”.
He added: “We are supposed to be living in the United Kingdom; it feels more like the disunited kingdom.”
