More criticism over meningitis victim

The parents of a 10-year-old boy from Derbyshire who lost all four limbs to meningitis criticised NHS bureaucracy after delays in their son receiving two prosthetic legs.

Edward Bright, from Ripley, still has to suffer with a badly fitting set because funding for a more up-to-date pair has not been forthcoming.

Derbyshire Primary Care Trust claims recent surgery to the youngster's thighs has prevented a new set being fitted.

But his parents Steve and Clare Bright blame bureaucracy, saying the trust should immediately provide the cash to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham so they can fit Edward with the two prosthetic legs.

Mr Bright, 41, said: "It's a full-time job trying to organise everything that Edward needs and this should be done by the PCT, not by us.

"The trouble we are having is that it is taking weeks and weeks for the PCT to release the funding to Selly Oak Hospital and it should take a week or two at the outside."

Mrs Bright, 40, added: "It's not about getting the best, it's about getting a service. I know the pressure the NHS is under but Edward should be running and walking but instead he is stuck."

Edward, who has a twin brother William, lost all his limbs to blood poisoning after he was diagnosed with meningitis in 2007.

Helen Knight, Derbyshire Primary Care Trust's commissioning manager, said: "The prosthetic legs we originally had made for Edward he can no longer use following surgery, and recent treatment on his thighs has prevented us from fitting a new pair at this moment.

"Plans are in place to press on with getting him a new set of fully functional prosthetic legs as soon as he can tolerate them."