Legal advice news: Man loses court battle, still gets surgery

A man who lost a court battle he launched with the help of legal advice will receive the surgery he was fight for on the NHS, despite his defeat.

Tom Condiff, from Staffordshire, argued that he became obese after consuming medication and said that he required gastric band surgery as a result.

However, NHS North Staffordshire said he was not eligible for it due to his body mass index not meeting the criteria for the surgery.

The healthcare body has not altered its original decision, despite Mr Condiff losing a legal battle funded by free legal advice, with the Court of Appeal ruling against him.

According to the Primary Care Trust (PCT), a second individual funding request was handed to it to pay for the surgery.

"The request and the new supporting medical evidence was thoroughly examined by our clinically led panel and Mr Condliff's clinical circumstances were found to be exceptional as outlined in our policy," a statement from the PCT said.

Recently, a number of commentators have described the importance of legal aid and spoken out against the government's proposed cuts to it, which many think will leave some people unable to access justice.

Published by Hannah Carr