THE mother of a young Tavistock girl who has one of the first 3D printed prosthetic hands in the country has broken down barriers to get a regional healthcare provider to agree to oversee the fitting of the new technology.

Julie Jillians was offered 'bulky' and 'cumbersome' traditional prosthetics for her young daughter Abbi, who was born without a left hand, but found out about the inexpensive and functional 3D printable hands that were beginning to be used in other countries and decided this was what she wanted for Abbi — thought to be a first in the UK.

Because of the new technology and lack of knowledge around the 3D printed prosthetics, Julie said initially GPs and the health system were reluctant to be involved, but a recent appointment with Plymouth Community Healthcare, an independent health service provider, resulted in a consultant agreeing to oversee the fitting of Abbi's printed hand.

Julie said: 'It is a real breakthrough, I was so delighted! To try to get the prosthetics department to take on something new is a mammoth task. But they have said that they will oversee any hand made for Abbi on a 3D printer and will help with the proper fitting of it.

'I remember speaking to my GP and she said she couldn't advise us on it because she didn't know enough about the technology. The prosthetics department was the same but has now done a U-turn. I'm so pleased with them — just to get them to acknowledge the 3D printed hands is one thing, but to say they will help to fit it is brilliant. It's like a big sigh of relief. I'm really, really pleased — I never thought it would happen.'

Abbi was made a 3D hand by digital fabrication laboratory Fab Lab, part of Plymouth College of Art and Design, after Julie had made contact with online global community Enable specialising in 3D printed prosthetics and appealed for someone to print one for her.

Since then, she had fundraised to purchase a 3D printer, which she donated to Tavistock Primary School, so the children can make 3D limbs for other children around the world.

With some of the funds left over from the fundraising events, Julie has now paid for the school to have a year's subscription with creative company You Invent, which gives schools a range of projects to create with their 3D printers to help students engage their creativity and expand their knowledge.

Dr Rachel Botell, consultant in rehabilitation medicine from Plymouth Community Healthcare, said: 'The 3D printing of prosthetics is a new and exciting technology which we are confident will become part of national prosthetic provision in the future.

'The collaboration that Mrs Jillians has developed with Plymouth College of Art and Design and Enable is a great opportunity to involve other children in making 3D prosthetic hands. We are very excited to be a part of these innovative developments and will continue to work closely with the family.'