FAMILY of cerebral palsy sufferer John Morrison, 36, say he is trapped in his home and deprived of the use of equipment that allows him to communicate as health bosses have denied him funding for a new wheelchair.

His father Malcolm, 64, and stepmother Suzanne, 62, who look after John in a bungalow in Market Lavington, near Devizes, are locked in a battle with Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group and say they are at their wits end after fighting for months to get him a new wheelchair.

Mrs Morrison said: “John’s electric wheelchair is broken and we have been told by the CCG that it is unsafe for him to go out in it.

“They advised that he should stay in bed. The problems with the back of the chair also mean that he can’t access his communication system which allows him to tap out words so he can be understood and the equipment which allows him to turn on his own TV and lights.

“Not being able to do this makes him very frustrated and he gets quite angry at times. We are here with John all the time and him not being able to go outside the house, except for when we take him in the car to his physiotherapy appointments, is very stressful for all of us. He is just trapped in the house”

John was damaged at birth when he was deprived of oxygen and later won damages from Luton and Dunstable health trust.

But the family has been in dispute over his continuing care package since they moved to Wiltshire in 2012.

They were furious when the CCG refused to pay for his specialist physiotherapy that he needs three times a week but eventually won their case and this is now paid for on the NHS.

Mrs Morrison said: “Wiltshire CCG is one of the worst in the country when it comes to providing on-going help and support for people like John.

“You have to fight for everything. I am under my own GP because of the stress all of this is causing to me.

“Wiltshire CCG has agreed that John should be fully funded but they will still not pay for his wheelchairs to be replaced.

“We have been told to put him in bed where he cannot eat or drink and is immobile. If we did this he would not be able to go to his therapies.”

Mr and Mrs Morrison praised the work of The Wheelchair Service at Melksham Hospital but said it could not provide the new chair until the funding comes from the CCG.

The family say during the fight over cash he has had to spend £300,000 on all his needs and therapies. In April health bosses finally agreed he was eligible for fully funded NHS Continuing Healthcare but his parents say it has not paid up for the wheelchair.

A spokesman for Wiltshire CCG would only say: “We aim to work proactively with all patients and families who need further support but we are unable to comment on individual cases.”