A MUM and dad have criticised a GP who failed to diagnose their baby’s rare skull condition.

As a result Oliver Kenny, aged 18 weeks, will not be able to get the necessary NHS funding to help cure him.

Oliver was in perfect health when he was born – a flat spot developed on his head after five weeks.

Worried parents Mandy and Wayne, aged 27 and 33, took him to Bewsey Street Medical Centre the following week where his doctor said there was nothing to worry about.

Mandy, of Scott Street, Orford, said: “In the following weeks Oliver’s head became even more slanted and his ears came out of alignment.

“It has been really upsetting to see this happen because he was fine when he was born.”

The couple took Oliver back to his GP when he was 15 weeks old and they were again told there were no problems and to come back after a month if the symptoms persisted.

Two days later the couple went to private clinic Ossur, in Manchester, where Oliver was diganosed with plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome.

The doctor there told the family that the syndrome needed to be treated within six months to get the best results and to prevent long-term damage.

If the illness progresses to the 12-month stage it becomes incurable.

NHS Warrington said the condition was so rare that there was no specific policy relating to it.

A spokesman said: “The NHS will fund this sort of treatment but an individual funding request from a GP would have to be submitted to the PCT.”

Mandy and Wayne, also parents to two-year-old daughter Grace, said they were never informed of this course of action when they saw Oliver’s GP.

Mandy added: “It would be too late for Oliver if we went down that route, given that he’s not far off six months old now. So we are going to go private to ensure he gets the treatment he needs.”

The family must now raise £1,950 in order for Oliver to be fitted with a helmet that will correct the shape of his head.

They aim to complete a hike in Snowdonia next Sunday, August 14. To sponsor them visit justgiving.com/Mandy-Kenny.