Teenager is refused hysterectomy

An NHS trust has ruled it will not allow a hysterectomy on a severely disabled girl to go ahead. Alison Thorpe, 45, said her 15-year-old daughter Katie, who has cerebral palsy, would be confused by periods and they would cause her indignity.

Mid Essex Hospital NHS Trust took legal advice after a consultant said he would be willing to carry out the procedure. Mrs Thorpe, from Billericay, said the trust was swayed by campaigners and "political correctness".

Katie's mother told the BBC she had found a consultant, who had agreed to perform the operation. "We said he would have to discuss it with the powers that be," Mrs Thorpe said. "The director of nursing later informed us they would not be prepared to have this procedure put in place. They said the only way forward would be if we could present a clinical case for the partial hysterectomy to take place once Katie began menstruating."

Mrs Thorpe said she had received "overwhelming support" for her case from families with children with disabilities as well as from disabled people. "We have demonstrated there is a real need for Katie to have this necessary evil taken away," Mrs Thorpe said. "People who don't know Katie, who don't fully understand our situation have actually been swayed by the minority of the disability rights organisations."

Disabled charity Scope said the operation could have "disturbing" implications for other disabled children, and may not be in the best interests of Katie. Mrs Thorpe stressed she did not want to set a precedent.

"They (the trust) are scared by the minority - political correctness," she added.

A spokeswoman for Mid Essex Hospital NHS Trust said: "Before we make any decision to operate on a patient we look at each case on an individual basis. "This applies in the case of Katie Thorpe and we have met with the family to discuss this. Due to patient confidentiality we are not able to give any more details."