HEALTH bosses who controversially withdrew funding for a snoring-related condition have completed a dramatic U-turn, it was revealed today.

East Lancashire Health Authority caused a storm of protest last year when it stopped paying for treatment to cure Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).

But after months of lobbying from GPs, consultants and health watchdogs across the district, health chiefs have bowed to pressure and secured a limited contract. Local patients who suffer from the rare disorder will now be referred to the North West Lung Centre in South Manchester.

Sleep apnoea is a rare disorder where the breathing of the sleeping person stops spontaneously several times during the night, causing sudden waking. The stoppage is due to the obstruction of the airways in snorers. The condition can cause side-effects, including sleepiness during the day, irritability and poor concentration levels.

It has also been linked to an increased risk of serious illness, including coronary heart disease and heart rhythm changes.

Nigel Robinson, chief officer of Blackburn. Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council (CHC), said it was a classic example of public pressure winning the day.

He said: "We have been pressing the health authority to reverse its decision for some time and we are going to claim this as a success."

In a letter to the CHC, Dr Mark Smith, the health authority's consultant in public health medicine, said the North West Lung centre was an 'excellent service.'

But he said it was vital it was used 'selectively.'

He said further investment would be limited after recent research claimed that the relevance of sleep apnoea to public health had been exaggerated.

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