Media frenzy over bid to save life of 70-stone Suffolk man

A MEDIA frenzy erupted today following exclusive Evening Star front page revelations that a 70-stone Ipswich man is facing life-saving surgery.

National newspapers, as well as TV and radio stations, converged to follow-up on our story that health chiefs may use a military Chinook to take the patient to specialist doctors in Sussex.

The man - who experts believe could be the world's heaviest - is Paul Mason, 48, named by dozens of media outlets today.

We are not revealing his whereabouts - and have handled this story with care so not to add any extra pressure during the treatment process.

Mr Mason will be transported to hospital in Chichester, Sussex, where specialist teams will try to reduce his weight by dozens of stones, saving his life.

Transport difficulties may be overcome by the use of an RAF Chinook to airlift him to Sussex.

The costs of the combined effort, which will run into tens of thousands of pounds, will be met by NHS, Suffolk, which is obliged under law to seek treatment and deliver it.

NHS bosses are remaining tight-lipped about the full details of the health rescue operation, while details are being finalised.

Mr Mason has made numerous attempts to shed the weight threatening his health but no method has proved successful.

Now living in east Ipswich and virtually immobile, the surgery is the only way to end his battle with obesity and save his life.

New treatment and surgery is now planned at Chichester's St Richard's Hospital, where the NHS bariatric service provides surgical weight loss treatment for more than 200 obese patients.

A spokeswoman for NHS Suffolk said officials are currently looking at alternative forms of transport and that the situation is on-going.

She also confirmed that the move is likely to be completed in a few weeks' time.