REFERRED: Driscol is now being checked out

She has been too embarrassed to go out because she can’t stop burping.

And despite visits to two doctors and three hospitals she still does not know what is causing the problem.

The grandmother of five, from Chelmsford, Essex, has spent hundreds of pounds trying to find a cure and is now going private because the NHS seems unable to help.

Mrs Driscoll, 72, a former nurse and social worker, said: “I don’t go out any more because I’m too embarrassed. People laugh and stare at me. It’s awful.”

She has now been referred to University College Hospital, London. She said: “I’ve paid £200 for a private appointment. I can’t wait any longer.”