PARENTS of a five-year-old boy with a severe form of cerebral palsy fear his health is being put at risk due to NHS funding cuts after a vital appointment has been delayed six months.

Ben and Line Sales, who have already paid £65,000 for private treatment, say they are devastated the wait of more than a year after his last consultation could hinder little Jakob’s recovery.

Dad Ben said: “This is an example of the reality of cuts to the NHS.

“I know decisions have to be made but enough people pay taxes and the NHS should be a priority. There just doesn’t seem to be any choice in the matter at the moment and I think it’s important people know about the erosion of our NHS.”

Jakob and his twin brother Elliot were born 10 weeks prematurely weighing just three pounds. Aged one, Jakob was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

The family from Wimborne say they were told he would need to see a consultant four times a year.

Ben explained: “The purpose is review progress, physio needs, x-rays to ensure his hips aren’t about to come out their sockets and that he gets splints to help him stand. Four appointments a year quickly became three and then two.

“We’re now told his next appointment will be 13 months after his last one.

“In that time, it’s impossible to know what permanent damage could have been done to things like his hips in the course of a year without the proper intervention. Because he can’t walk his hips go out of alignment."

As previously reported kind-hearted members of the public helped raise £65,000 for Jakob to travel to America in April last year to have a vital selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) operation which was unavailable on the NHS.

The family paid £20,000 alone in the year after his operation for physiotherapy however now fear his progress will suffer a set-back due to the appointment delay.

Jakob was last seen at Poole Hospital’s Child Development Centre in February this year and now his appointment due to take place on Tuesday, September 12 has been pushed back to Tuesday, March 6.

Ben explained: “Jakob still can’t walk but he is doing a lot better. Before the operation in America he couldn’t put one foot in front of another. Now we can stand in his walker and walk 20 metres.

“Our consultant is really wonderful and the NHS has been good to us but we are just seeing it’s struggling. It has become clear the same level of care we received when he was diagnosed has been unavailable and we have noticed a gradual decline.

“He used to get physiotherapy once a week. Now we have blocks of four weeks, four times a year for example.

“We have a private physiotherapist now, who used to work for the NHS.

“You get to the point where you have to fundraise and rely on the good will of other people.

“We feel the more mobile we can get him through physiotherapy and exercises we do with him, the less care he will need in the long term so he will be less of an expense however it seems decisions are being made for the short term.”

A Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “The team works hard to ensure that all our children are cared for to a high standard. Care is planned some months in advance.

“Regrettably consultants may not always be available to see patients at their initially offered appointment, and in these circumstances we aim to ensure as far as possible that a new appointment is offered in a timely way.

“We can confirm that an appointment has been made for Jakob to see a community paediatrician in September, and would be happy to talk to Jakob’s father about any aspect of care.”