Man, 48, with huge five-stone lump on his belly that hangs down to his knees and ‘almost killed him’ says NHS has refused to remove it – twice

A man with a huge five-stone lump on his stomach that hangs down to his knees and he says ‘almost killed him’ has claimed the NHS refused to remove it twice.

Alan Bromyard, from Long Eaton in Derbyshire, said the lump won’t stop growing and it stops him from living a normal life.

It led to him getting sepsis last August and he was in hospital for two weeks, with six days in intensive care. 

But the 48-year-old said the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has twice refused to fund an operation.

The 48-year-old said the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has twice refused to fund an operation

Speaking to The Mirror, he said: ‘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.’

The lifelong farmer was forced to sell his herd of pedigree cows because he could no longer work.

He’s gone from fishing or shooting most weekends to living his life in bed and is unable to even get up the stairs. 

Mr Bromyard said it’s like he’s carrying a ‘dead-weight toddler around all the time’ and spends hundreds on bandages.

His surgeon said he would ‘thoroughly benefit from the surgery’ but his funding applications have been declined twice.

The letter described the need for ‘an apronectomy [surgical procedure to remove skin from the lower abdomen] for this patient who has a large abdominal pannus [abnormal layer of fibrovascular or granulation tissue] that is severely affecting his mood and daily activities.

Mr Bromyard said it’s like he’s carrying a ‘dead-weight toddler around all the time’ and spends hundreds on bandages

However, the Derby and Derbyshire ICB said: ‘This request has been reviewed by our screening pair which consists of a Public Health Consultant and a representative from the Derbyshire Integrated Care Board. This request has been declined by our screening panel.’

A spokesperson said: ‘Some treatments are not normally available on the NHS and in these circumstances people are able to request individual funding requests where a service, intervention or treatment falls outside of existing service provision.

‘This decision-making process ensures that each request is considered in a fair and transparent way, with decisions based on the best available evidence and in accordance with our individual funding request policy.’ 

The former farmer is now preparing for a third desperate attempt.

MailOnline has approached the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board for further comment.