MEDICAL ISSUES
Pain barrier
FORMER police officer David Czarnetzki has a debilitating back condition so rare that just 1,000 cases have been recorded in the past 50 years. It’s the kind of medical anomaly the NHS is not set up to deal with. In cases like his, where treatment is not routinely available, patients must apply for an individual funding request (IFR).
Applications must be submitted by a GP or specialist clinician and pass a threshold of specific criteria. In England, the decision is made by one of 42 NHS local commissioning bodies, known as Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).