Exclusive by Suzanne Lightfoot

A FAMILY have offered to sell their home in a last ditch attempt to persuade doctors to prescribe a new drug for multiple sclerosis.

Garnet Brown, of Stringer Crescent, Latchford, is fighting for the right to use Betaferon - trials have shown it could help slow down his crippling condition. But his family claims they have been refused the drug unless they are prepared to pay the £10,000 a year that it costs.

Mr Brown said: "I just want a chance to try it out before my MS gets any worse. But nobody seems to want to take responsibility for prescribing the drug because it costs so much money."

North Cheshire Health Authority told the family that there are currently no guidelines in place for the prescription of the drug to treat secondary progressive MS, which Mr Brown suffers from, and that until there was it would not be available to patients in this phase of the disease.

But the family claims they have discovered patients in the area who ARE being treated because they are paying for it.

Mr Brown's son Lee is furious about what he sees as a two-tier health system.

He said: "We are fully aware that the drugs might not work but my dad deserves a chance to find out. I have been told by a neurologist at Walton Centre that they were having trouble with a man who threatened the health authority with legal action unless they prescribed Betaferon. I also know of two patients who are receiving treatment because they are paying for it.

"While all of this is going on my dad is just getting worse. It is going to get to the stage where he is too ill to be prescribed the drug."

The neighbouring health authority in Manchester has a different approach. A spokesman said: "Betaferon is quite a useful drug for people with MS but it is not suitable in every case. Consultants are able to prescribe it if they feel the patient will benefit and that is the situation throughout Greater Manchester."

A spokesman for the Multiple Sclerosis Society said: "We believe that Betaferon should be made available to everybody whose neurologist believes could benefit from it. We believe that trials have shown that the drug slows down the progress of MS."

North Cheshire Health Authority were unable to comment.

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