Parents worried about child’s care

Emily Ramsden, four, of Church View, Cleckheaton, has Septo-optic dysplasia. She is blind in her left eye and partially-sighted in her right.

Parents Lee and Monika said eye specialists at Dewsbury and District Hospital have shown a lack of support and that Emily’s medical files were lost in 2011. She is now missing from their system, so has to be reffered again, and she has been without an appointment for nearly a yea, they said.

David Melia, director of patient and staff experience at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our aim is always to provide the best possible care to our patients. We would ask the family to contact the Trust’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service directly so that we can investigate their concerns fully through the appropriate channels.”

Emily also had an accident at Holy Spirit Primary School, Heckmondwike, some weeks ago, when she tripped up and banged just below her eye on a table. Her parents now want the one-on-one care which was taken away after she moved up from nursery.

The Directorate for Children, Young People and Specialist Learning told them that extra help would affect her confidence, because she achieves in lessons. Mr Ramsden said the issue is “about her safety.”

Simon Taylor, deputy assistant director of Learning and Skills said: “We are currently undertaking a statutory assessment of her special educational needs so that we can fully understand them and ensure the provision required is available to meet them in her new school.”