THE family of a woman who has an incurable progressive illness have been told she no longer qualifies for NHS funding for her care.

Huntington’s Disease sufferer Pauline Rattray is unable to walk, stand, feed herself, swallow normal food or hold a meaningful conversation.

Symptoms of the inherited condition worsen over many years until full-time nursing care is needed. Her brother-in-law Christopher Blendell used to look after former shop assistant Mrs Rattray and his wife, who also has Huntington’s, at their home in Hamworthy.

But for the last two years, 76-year-old Mrs Rattray has been living in the Avalon Nursing Home in Branksome Park, Poole, with NHS Bournemouth and Poole picking up the £3,000 a month bill. She is set to lose the funding this month.

Mr Blendell, 67, said: “Her illness is worse now than when she went in the nursing home. There are 31 people in the home and everyone who’s been reassessed has lost funding.

“Someone sits with them and ticks boxes. For two years, the boxes have been ticked. Now she’s worse, the boxes haven’t been ticked.”

Mr Blendell claimed that the trust had not spoken to Mrs Rattray’s GP or hospital consultant before reaching the decision.

“If she had never received the funding, I would say that’s OK, but she needs more attention now than she ever did.

“It’s a sorry state of affairs when, if the country is short of money, the only way of grabbing it is to hit the disabled and others who can’t fight back.”

NHS Bournemouth and Poole says it is unable to comment on individual cases, but follows a national framework to determine whether patients qualify for continuing healthcare (CHC) funding. They are reassessed three months after the first assessment, then every year unless their needs change.

Sally Sandcraft, deputy director of joint commissioning and partnerships for adults and older people, said: “The review includes a comprehensive assessment of needs and involves information from health and social care professionals involved in an individual’s care.”

Patients found to be no longer eligible are given 28 days notice and their local authority told. Further assessments are then carried out to find out if they qualify for council-funding or will have to pay for their own care.