A NURSE who is fighting for life-saving treatment to help her eat has been told she must wait until next week to discover if she has been successful.

Mother-of-two Pauline Smithstone, 51, has not been able to eat a square meal for five years and is waiting to see if the NHS will fund specialist treatment for her in London.

She has found two expert gastro-neurologists, based in the capital’s Princess Grace Hospital, who she says could help her to get to the bottom of her problem.

The matter was discussed at a meeeting on Thursday night by bosses at NHS East Lancashire.

And there will be an announcement on their decision this week.

An NHS East Lancashire spokesman said: “The request was received last month and is under active consideration.”

Mrs Smithstone said she is unable to swallow solid food and has survived for several years on yoghurts, ice creams and juices.

Now she has lodged an appeal with NHS East Lancashire’s individual funding request panel to pay for their services.

Mrs Smithstone was a patient at the Princess Grace before her private health insurance ran out four years ago.

Until recently the grandmother had received all of her nutrition intravenously but there have been complications with her feeding line.

She is now taking a sugar solution, as a stopgap measure, but is losing weight.

Mrs Smithstone, of The Meadows, Ightenhill, said: “The condition has left me very weak and in a lot of pain. I am now housebound.

“The sugary liquid is not enough to keep me going.”

Before her illness Mrs Smithstone was an agency nurse, and had managed nursing homes.

But as her condition has deter-iorated she has been unable to work for four months.

An initial approach to the NHS was declined last summer and she repeated her request last month.