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25/08/2003
Black woman offered white prosthetic foot
A black woman who is awaiting an operation to have her foot amputated was offered a white prosthetic replacement, as a cost saving measure by the NHS.
Miss Ingrid Nicholls, from Calcot near Reading in Berkshire, was told by her doctors that she would have to pay extra to have a limb that matched her skin colour.
However, Miss Nicholls (46) who was shown a selection of white prostheses, complained that this was unfair.
"I was absolutely devastated and I felt that this is a ridiculous situation," she told BBC News. "It's like asking a white person to have a black limb. It's just not right, it's undignified."
The health authority has since apologised for the incident.
A spokesperson for the Thames Valley Health Authority said that there had been a “misunderstanding” and apologised for any “upset or hurt that had been caused”.
It is understood that the local primary care trust is responsible for paying for all prostheses.
Discussions are under way in an effort to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome for all the parties involved.
(SP)
Miss Ingrid Nicholls, from Calcot near Reading in Berkshire, was told by her doctors that she would have to pay extra to have a limb that matched her skin colour.
However, Miss Nicholls (46) who was shown a selection of white prostheses, complained that this was unfair.
"I was absolutely devastated and I felt that this is a ridiculous situation," she told BBC News. "It's like asking a white person to have a black limb. It's just not right, it's undignified."
The health authority has since apologised for the incident.
A spokesperson for the Thames Valley Health Authority said that there had been a “misunderstanding” and apologised for any “upset or hurt that had been caused”.
It is understood that the local primary care trust is responsible for paying for all prostheses.
Discussions are under way in an effort to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome for all the parties involved.
(SP)
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