AN angry mother-of-three is to ask Health Secretary Alan Milburn why she is being denied access to a drug which could transform her life.

Ann Weatherburn, 34, of Darlington, has multiple sclerosis, the progressive disease.

She said her consultant had told her he would like to prescribe a drug called beta interferon to ease spasms.

But because Mr Milburn, Darlington's MP, had referred the drug to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice), the specialist was unable to prescribe the drug on the NHS.

Mrs Weatherburn said people could drink and smoke themselves into ill health and get treatment, but MS sufferers were being denied it.

Mr Milburn is due to meet three MS sufferers in Darlington.

"I have very little feeling in my hands and I get very painful spasms," said Mrs Weatherburn.

Jenny Brookstein, welfare officer at the Darlington and district branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, said that only about five out of 110 MS sufferers known to the branch were on beta interferon.

Yet Darlington MS Society secretary Anna Barrett, of Hurworth, said her daughter, Catherine, who lives in Kent, was put on beta interferon.

A Department of Health spokesman said the drug was referred to Nice, an independent panel of experts, to determine whether it should be available on the NHS.

Nice was set up to try to end the so-called "postcode" lottery which means people in one region can get a particular drug, but others living elsewhere cannot. A decision from Nice is not expected until November.