Macclesfield Hospital has apologised after refusing a policeman emergency HIV drugs when he was stabbed with a used needle.

Roger Mayo, 41, claims his life could have been put at risk because of a mix-up between Greater Manchester Police’s Occupational Health department and the sexual health clinic at the hospital.

It happened after PC Mayo was injured by a used syringe while searching a drug addict known to share needles.

The terrified officer managed to get an emergency five day course of the anti-HIV medication called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) – which is used to prevent infection after the virus has entered the body – but then struggled to get the essential month-long treatment needed to complete the course.

He says the Force’s Occupational Health department told him to get the drugs from his local sexual health clinic, but the clinic, based at Macclesfield Hospital, refused because it was an ‘industrial injury’.

In desperation PC Mayo, with help from his GP, finally managed to get treatment from another clinic.

But he says the lack of clarity about who should treat the injury has put his life at risk, and he now faces a nervous year-long wait for blood tests for HIV and Hep-C to confirm whether or not he has been infected. PC Mayo said: “The treatment is very regimented and should not be interrupted, so continuing it was imperative and I had a small time frame to get the remaining treatment.

“When I contacted the Macclesfield clinic I was told I could not have it because it was an industrial injury, whereas occupational health were telling me I had to go through the NHS. I went to my doctor and he was outraged and made an emergency referral, only for it to be refused again.”

He said: “I am very angry at GMP and the NHS. They both fobbed me off and left me to get on with it. As an apology, it’s pathetic. My wife and I were hoping to start a family, but that is on hold until I know I am clear. We are also struggling to get a mortgage with this hanging over us.”

The syringe incident took place in the Burnage area of Manchester earlier this year.

NHS bosses have apologised for a ‘lack of clarity and agreement’ on how incidents occurring at work are dealt with.

In a letter to PC Mayo, John Wilbraham, chief executive of NHS East Cheshire Trust, said: “I do not underestimate what a worrying time this was for you knowing that you needed to receive specific treatment within a given time frame and apologise for the anxiety this situation will have caused you.

“I regret that you were passed between different teams and it is clear that when you acquired the needle stick injury you should have been treated in a timely manner, and while staff in the sexual health team followed the currently policies and procedures, I believe on this occasion we should have offered you treatment at Macclesfield and the contractual issues between organisations dealt with afterwards.”

The case has also been passed to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman.

Great Manchester Police said that it is reviewing its policy for officers who may have potentially come into contact with a ‘blood born virus’.

A GMP spokesperson said: “The welfare of all our staff and officers at GMP is extremely important to us and we are disappointed to hear that an officer is unhappy with how we dealt with the incident.

“As stated in our blood born virus policy, anyone who suffers a needlestick injury should immediately attend A&E where they can be assessed, prescribed medication and referred for

further treatment if necessary. On the next available day, they are advised to make contact with our Occupational Health team who can provide support and advice. GMP, like all other forces, cannot administer antiretroviral medication but we can refund any prescriptions needed as a result of potential contact with a blood born virus.

“Although an official complaint has not been lodged with GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, we are currently in the process of reviewing this policy and would urge this particular officer to speak to us about any concerns they have.”