A WORCESTER man suffering from a serious heart problem has slammed the "postcode lottery" which he claims has left him unable to have the surgery he needs - unless he pays £10,000.

Tony Cox has been diagnosed as suffering from cardiomyopathy - a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should.

The 55-year-old, from Randwick Close, Warndon, takes a daily concoction of tablets to treat the problem but needs to have a biventricular pacemaker fitted if his quality of life is going to improve.

The consultant cardiologist at Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital, where the operation would take place, has agreed the procedure should be carried out.

But Mr Cox claims West Midlands South Local Specialised Commissioning Group (LSCG) - the group responsible for commissioning the work carried out by Primary Care Trusts - has told him they will not pay as guidelines on the procedure set out by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) have yet to be finalised.

If Mr Cox, whose condition has rendered him disabled and unable to work, has to have the operation done privately it will cost £10,000 - an amount of money he says he simply does not have.

"It's a postcode lottery - I've been told that if I lived in Birmingham I would be able to have it done," he said.

"All I want to do is improve my quality of life and get back to work.

"But I am being prevented from doing this by a system which would rather pay me dole money for the rest of my life than fund an operation to get me back to work.

"I've got four children in their early 20s and the chances are I won't get to see my grandchildren."

Martin Flowers, head of specialised commissioning at West Midlands South LSCG, confirmed there was, as yet, no agreed policy from NICE for commissioning biventricular pacing and therefore South Worcestershire PCT was not obliged to carry out the procedure.

"However, every case is looked at on an individual basis and South Worcestershire PCT will be reviewing Mr Cox's case," he added.

Whether Mr Cox would receive the treatment if he lived elsewhere in the country has been unconfirmed.