An eight-year-old boy was denied NHS treatment because he goes to a private school, the Daily Mail has reported.

The boy was referred to a paediatrician at Kingston Hospital in Southwest London after his mother noticed he was “struggling to hold the pen well enough to write properly”, along with other mobility issues.

At the hospital appointment she was asked to fill in a form which asked: ‘Where does your child go to school?’ A few days later, she received a text message saying the child had been ‘declined’ the next appointment with occupational health therapists.

The eight-year-old attends a prep school in Kew.

According to the Daily Mail, the mother discovered that the hospital’s specialist unit had written a letter to her GP saying: “We are unable to see this child as we do not provide a service to school age children who attend an independent schools [sic]. We are only commissioned to provide a service to the mainstream schools.”

The boy’s mother said: “I have never been refused treatment for my children – until now. There is clearly a two-tier system at play.

“‘I have complained bitterly and asked who created these eligibility criteria and where it says in the NHS constitution that it’s OK to discriminate against independent schoolchildren.”

“If you discriminate against children because of the school they went to, where does it end?

“Labour’s dislike of independent schools is filtering down into the NHS and that is very damaging. In cases like my son’s, they are effectively discriminating against children who are disabled and against some of the most vulnerable members of society. This is going to affect a lot of children if it is a new NHS protocol.

“Many people will not want to send their children to independent schools if it means foregoing NHS treatment.”

The Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust’s website states: “Children and young people of school age can be referred via their School SENCo for assessment if they attend a state-funded Richmond school and have a Richmond or Kingston address.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told the Standard: “The story is not true. NHS services are free at the point of use to all. NHS occupational therapy services are provided for all children with an Education, Health and Care Plan. For those without an EHCP, some schools provide on-site NHS occupational therapy.

“The trust has apologised for any miscommunication in its correspondence with the family and is amending its wording to avoid any confusion in the future.”

A spokesperson for Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust told Richmond Nub News: “The story reported over the weekend is misleading. School-age children, regardless of school type, can access occupational therapy services if a need is identified and included in an Education, Health and Care Plan.

“For those without an EHCP, advice is available via our website and helpline. We acknowledge our communication with families needs improvement and we are currently revising our materials to ensure greater clarity.”