Autistic teen with needle phobia helped by NHS

Terence Panzu-Lema will now be able to travel safely with his mum Chantal Panzu, and family

A teenager who is autistic and has learning difficulties has been given the ability to travel abroad for the first time, by a unique collaboration by NHS teams in London.

Terence Panzu-Lema, who is 19 and from Wandsworth, south-west London, has extreme needle phobia, and had been unable to get the vaccines needed to visit family in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Terence's mother, Chantal Panzu, suggested that the injections could be given while her son was under general anaesthetic for routine dental treatment.

The NHS agreed, and specialist teams from King's College Hospital and University College London Hospital came together to administer the yellow fever, rabies and typhoid vaccines.

The team that made it happen (L-R): Nurse Diana Philips (UCLH), dentist Charlotte Curl (King's), dentist Iona Turner (King's), anaesthetist Dr Oliver Long (King's), Dr Chris van Tulleken (UCLH)

"When we received the request from Terence's mum, who has always been very proactive in advocating for her son, we wanted to try and make it work," said Charlotte Curl, the consultant in special care dentistry at King's.

She explained how it involved co-ordinating "many members" of a number of teams from the two different hospitals to come together.

With this unique collaboration Ms Curl said it "enabled both the dental care and the vaccines to be delivered consecutively while Terence was anaesthetised".

Ms Panzu said: "(Terence) was due to have six filings under general anaesthetic, so it seemed like a good opportunity to get his travel vaccines at the same time".

She added: "Everyone we encountered on this journey, both from King's and UCLH, has been amazing. I can't thank them enough for enabling Terence to be able enjoy his first family holiday."

Sneha Baljekar, lead clinical nurse specialist for travel health at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases at UCLH added: "It was wonderful to support Terence and Chantal with this journey.

"The whole team is delighted that we were able to provide this service for Terence and reassurance for his family to be able to travel safely in future."