A MUM with a bowel condition who has been waiting for hospital treatment for a year says 'she is fading away' after losing four stone.

39-year-old Natalie Fowler, who lives in south Cumbria, was diagnosed with gastroparesis at the age of 24.

The long-term condition stops her from eating food properly so her body has to be fed by tubes.

However her health has 'deteriorated' since she moved to the county in 2021. She has been struggling to get hospital appointments to see specialists to receive proper treatment for her illness.

Before moving to south Cumbria, Natalie said she weighed nine and a half stone.

She now weighs just five stone and needs to use a wheelchair as she has 'no muscle, no grip and no balance.'

"Having to sit at home and fade away in front of my child is what is happening, and I don't know what else to do," said Natalie.

"I don't know how much life I have got in me to carry on. 

"I'm a qualified dance teacher and I'm normally fairly fit. I know I have this condition, but I can maintain it when I have a feeding line in quite well. 

"If I try to put anything in my stomach, the pain I suffer is extreme. I'm under a lot of medication and because I'm so sick all I'm putting in is coming out - this is why the feeding tubes are the only thing that has ever worked in the past.

"My GP is really good and he has tried to help me as much as he can, but there is only so much that a GP can do."

The Westmorland Gazette: Natalie Fowler 9 months ago.Natalie Fowler 9 months ago. (Image: Submitted)

Natalie is hoping that the situation gets resolved despite her current debilitating state.

"The local hospital here can't cater for my medical needs because they haven't got the expertise there. I have to go to an intestinal failure unit," said Natalie.

"There are only a few intestinal failure units in the UK and the two they have sent me are in Preston or Salford."

Natalie was admitted to Royal Preston Hospital a year ago.

She said: "The consultant I was under said she didn't want anybody else dealing with my care because of how complex it was and that she wanted to be the one that oversaw everything so I agreed to that.

"However, I went to the hospital, and the consultant was never there.

"It got to the point where I got discharged because she wasn't there to be able to put the time in, so she said we would have to re-book it and come back in, but that never happened."

Afterwards, Natalie got moved to Salford because the consultant 'wasn't going to be practising in the hospital for two months.'

She said: "Now it is 2023 I'm 39 years old, I'm five stone and I still haven't been to Salford. 

"They have not corresponded with me at all. I have asked for plans for my treatment and no one will talk to me.

"All I have been told is that the strikes have an impact and there is a backlog which I understand but when I'm this small it is getting ridiculous."

She added "I have fought as much as I can with these hospitals every way I can but it doesn't make any difference.”

Dr David Levy, medical director for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) said: "We’re sorry to hear about the concerns that have been raised. The ICB is committed to ensuring patients have access to appropriate care.

"Where services are specialised, it is not always possible to deliver them in every hospital and for patients to receive the best care possible they may find themselves treated in hospitals further from home.

"We would urge any patient struggling to access care to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALs) to see what support might be provided to help them deal with the issue."

Further information on PALs can be found here - What is PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)? - NHS (www.nhs.uk) and to contact the PALs service for Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB please email Mlcsu.Iscpatientexprience@nhs.net.