GWENT politicians are this week expecting answers from Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons over the treatment of 34-year-old Simon Henson.

We exclusively revealed how Mr Henson, of Dunstable Road, Bishpool, Newport, suffers from the rare condition focal tortocollis dystonia, which causes muscle spasms and has left his neck permanently twisted.

A £25,000 operation could transform Mr Henson's life, but Assembly agency Health Commission Wales (HCW) is refusing to pay for the treatment.

It says there is limited evidence the treatment works, a claim Mr Henson's neurologist, Professor Tipu Aziz, said was "ridiculous".

The HCW is responsible for commissioning specialist health care which Local Health Boards cannot provide.

In Mr Henson's case, it is being asked to fund an operation at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford.

Newport East AM and deputy health minister, John Griffiths, has written to Mr Gibbons asking him to overturn the HCW's decision. But he is not hopeful of a successful outcome, because the HCW was set up to deal specifically with what sort of treatments to approve and fund.

"Once they have made their decision, normally that's it," said Mr Griffiths, who is Mr Henson's constituency member.

"I must say I'm not very hopeful, but all I can do is try."

South East Wales AM, Conservative William Graham, said Mr Henson, a former Newport Centre lifeguard and Newport Saracens player, was a victim of a postcode lottery in healthcare and would get the treatment if he lived in England.

He said: "I can't believe it. Simon is a young man with 30 years of active life ahead of him.

"I find this appalling."

He said the HCW should respect Prof Aziz's opinion, because he is the UK's only specialist in dystonia.

"If he says Simon should get the treatment, he should get it," said Mr Graham.

He said there was sufficient money available from the HCW's ring-fenced budget, and it should be used to pay for Mr Henson's operation.

Prof Aziz said he thought it was a cost-saving exercise by the HCW.