A woman who has spent years in pain waiting to find out what is wrong with her legs now fears her treatment could be stopped because her GP has the wrong postcode.

Paula Lane's Portslade GP sent the mother-of-two to Worthing Hospital for tests.

After the hospital's oncology department diagnosed Mrs Lane with spastic paraparesis, a condition that means the nerves between her legs and brain do not work properly, she was then referred to Southlands Hospital in Shoreham for physiotherapy.

But after being given a glimmer of hope things could improve, she was sent a letter saying the hospital made a mistake in treating her, because her doctor's surgery is in East not West Sussex.

Mrs Lane, 44, of Eastbrook Way, Fishersgate, said: “It's a bit silly, but it has made me really angry too.

“We live in West Sussex, but they won't treat me because my GP is in East Sussex.

“I get pain from it, but it is more a physical thing that I find it difficult to walk a long way.

“I don’t know how much longer I will now have to wait. I can’t drive or walk very far so it will be much harder for me to get to another hospital.”

In a letter sent to Mrs Lane by Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worthing and Southlands hospitals, she was told: “Due to an oversight you were accepted as a new patient with us, but it has just been noticed that you are registered with the Portslade GP practice and because of this we are unable to accept referral.”

Mrs Lane’s referral was transferred to the Hove Polyclinic, but now she has been told she will have to go to Brighton General instead.

Mrs Lane's husband Mark, 47, said: “There are all these adverts on the radio saying that you can be treated at any hospital you choose, but she can't continue her treatment because our GP is in a different postcode area.

“It is really affecting her quality of life. We want to go out as a family but Paula struggles to walk.

“We are really worried that all this messing about will delay her getting better.”

A Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust spokeswoman said: “We will be looking in to the details of this case and, if at all possible, will make arrangements for Mrs Lane to receive her physiotherapy closer to home.”

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