Crowdfunding page set up to help super slimmer get his op

Last week The Standard told how window cleaner Chris Degnan, 32, had lost 14st and lowered his Body Mass Index from 59 to 28 by hitting the gym.

Now weighing 13 stone he approached the South West Clinical Commissioning Group to have around two stone in excess skin removed but was told he did not meet the criteria which expected him to have a BMI of 25.

Now a friend, Jo Smith, has launched a crowdfunding page to pay for the operation privately, which could cost between £8,000-10,000. The page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ChrisDegnanLifechangingop has already raised £65 in a week.

Jo says: “Weʼre raising £10,000 to help Chris finish his journey to get his life back after being turned down by the NHS.”

Father-of-two Chris is grateful for everyone’s help, but added: “To be honest, I’d rather the NHS pay for it as my friends have all helped so much already even if not financially.”

He said: “In my mind I saved the NHS £10,000 when I turned down the gastric band surgery.”

Pamela Palmer, Chief Nurse at South West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told The Standard last week they have a policy on individual funding requests. She said: “This policy clearly identifies who is and who is not entitled to treatment and the associated criteria against which decisions are made, this would include allowance for consideration of exceptional circumstances.

“We would advise any individual to contact their GP or other health professional to discuss whether or not a referral into the individual funding request process is warranted either now or in the future.”