HEALTH campaigners in Cornwall are bracing themselves for yet another battle over the future of the county's cancer services, writes the WMN's Patra Mann.

The decision to transfer upper gastro-intestinal (GI) cancer surgery from the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Trelikse, Truro, to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital has already been taken.

Now health chiefs are considering whether gynaecological cancer operations for Cornwall and Devon should be in Truro or Plymouth to create a centre of excellence.

Jeannette Preston, a registered nurse who founded the charity Pants Matters, which raises awareness of certain types of cancer, said patients dreaded the prospect of having to travel for surgery when services in Truro were of a high standard.

She said: "Women in Cornwall will feel already that they are getting the best and would prefer not to have to move away from what they feel is their centre, their local facility."

A panel of independent health experts carried out a clinical review in September and are expected to deliver their report next week.

The group includes Professor David Luesley a surgeon who works in Birmingham, Charles Redman, a surgeon at North Staffordshire Hospital and Juliette Sim, a cancer nurse specialist based at University College Hospital, London.

The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Devon is to remain as a specialist centre for gynaecological cancer. The new centre's location is likely to be announced within a fortnight and will be based at either Derriford or RCHT.

Department of Health bosses insist that concentrating surgery in a specialist centre of excellence dramatically improved a patient's chance of survival and cure.

Operations for some cervical and womb cancers could still be done in the hospital that does not get specialist status. All patients could still have chemotherapy, radiotherapy and outpatient appointments locally.

A spokesman for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly said no decision had yet been made.

She said: "We expect the outcome of the clinical review to be delivered sometime next week. We have no idea what the report will contain or what it will recommend.

"However, whatever decision is made it will be in the best interests of patients. We have been discussing the situation with councillors to explain what may or may not happen. We have not begun consulting patients or other groups yet because the outcome might be that nothing will change for patients in Cornwall."

Between 2004 and 2006, the average number of cases of gynaecological cancers per year was 223 in the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly area, 302 in the NHS Devon area, 81 in the NHS Plymouth area and 54 in Torbay Care Trust area.

Clinicians expect that between 100 and 120 women per year would need to go to the new specialist centre for assessment or treatment.

Public pressure has continued to mount for an independent public inquiry into the transfer of upper GI services out of Cornwall.

Three weeks ago, the Western Morning News revealed unpublished legal advice suggesting moving services without a formal public consultation may have been unlawful.

Bosses at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, the primary care trust which funds the service, later released their own legal advice supporting their actions.

Health bosses continue to insist that transferring the service to create a centre of excellence at Derriford would produce better results for patients.