Coleraine mother's fight for healthcare for disabled daughter to be featured in UTV documentary
A Coleraine mother’s fight for healthcare for her disabled daughter is to be featured in a UTV documentary which will air tonight (Tuesday, November 12).
Tracey Henry and her two daughters are just one of the families to be featured in UTV’s Up Close programme which will air at 10.40pm.
Speaking to Northern Ireland World back in June, Tracey said that her family was ‘at breaking point’ after health trust changes meant that her disabled daughter’s care assistant was no longer allowed to carry out nursing tasks.
Her profoundly disabled daughter Ellie has to be fed and receive medication through a tube (peg) almost every hour of the day.
“They're now saying that despite my Direct Payment carers being trained and signed off by the Trust for peg feeding that they can no longer do that.
"They're saying they can't do any nursing needs. So every 90 minutes to two hours a day, I have to be here 24/7 to do this as there’s no nursing staff available.
"I'm on the verge of another nervous breakdown as I can't cope. I only try to do my best for the girls and put them above my needs always.”
In August, Tracey also started a petition calling for a change in the law to allow carers to carry out essential treatment.
Speaking to UTV at the time, Tracey said: “We want a change in legislation to make sure that our in-home carers or PAs are trained and signed off legally so they can do the other tasks that nursing auxiliaries do."
Up Close will be broadcast on UTV tonight (Tuesday) at 10.40pm.