Protesters fight to keep cancer services
CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to carry on fighting plans to transfer specialist cancer services out of Cornwall despite failing to win the backing of county councillors.
A last-ditch bid to prevent Upper gastro-intestinal (Upper GI) services being moved to Plymouth was yesterday put to Cornwall Council's health and adults scrutiny committee.
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Healthcare Initiative Cornwall had hoped to reverse a decision made by the previous administration which paved the way for the transfer.
Councillors refused, saying rules prevented them from overturning the decision which was less than six months old.
Graham Webster, vice-chairman for HIC, said the rules deserved to be broken in this instance.
"I am very disappointed that we did not get the decision suspended," he said.
"I know the rules are there for a reason, but if it is an important case they are there to be broken."
At the end of April, the same committee under the then Liberal Democrat controlled authority gave the go-ahead for Upper GI cancer services to move from Truro to Derriford in Plymouth.
The committee said this was because it did not constitute a "substantial" change in services, which would have automatically prompted a long public consultation.
Campaigners however say the move does represent a "substantial" change and that local people have been robbed of their chance to voice an opinion.
HIC has called for legal advice which it believes was obtained by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust over the transfer to be revealed at yesterday's council meeting.
Mr Webster said he believed it could have made a difference to the decision made in April.
The committee yesterday agreed to contact RCHT to check whether the advice was ever obtained.
Mr Webster said he was pleased the matter would be brought back to the members.
"I think we put some things in the spotlight and it is good that the councillors have asked for the legal advice to be brought back to them," he said.
"At the end of the day the councillors must feel uneasy that this is a substantial change in services and there should have been a public consultation."
Ann James, chief executive of NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, the primary care trust, told the meeting that they were working closely to ensure a smooth transition for Upper GI Surgery.
"It is disappointing that despite a clear decision taken by the overview and scrutiny committees earlier this year and the full support of all NHS organisations, some individuals seem intent on undermining patients' confidence in what will be an important service improvement, improving patients' chances of survival and care," she said.
"The NHS remains absolutely focussed on delivering its implementation plan and believes this is the best way to serve local cancer patients."
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by Rose Woodward - Chair - C&IoS Cancer Patient Group, Porthtowan
Saturday, October 10 2009, 2:30PM
“I was at the Cornwall Council meeting of their Overview & Scrutiny committee last week when this NHS legal advice was asked for. The Cancer Patient Group in Cornwall have led the campaign to have a full & proper consultation about the transfer of cancer surgery services out of Cornwall. We want a full consultation ;that is what patients in Cornwall deserve. We still have not seen any evidence that forcing patients to give up their choice to have their surgery at Treliske close to their families/communities/friends/churches etc and travel to Derriford will be better for them. This is especially true because we now know the operations will be carried out by Mr Peyser, the same Surgeon who currently does the operations at Treliske
We know, and I think the Councillors and the NHS know, the change to the service for Upper Gi cancer patients is substantial - how could it not be? If the NHS have legal advice to say patients and people in Cornwall should have had a full consultation then they owe it to cancer patients to make the advice available.
What reason could there be for not sharing the advice with the very people who are going to suffer because of the decision.
At some point we have to trust the NHS Directors and non executive Directors who have been involved in this for the past 18 months, to do the right thing by their communities and the cancer patients they are there to serve.
Either a legal opinion exists or it doesn't. Which is it please?.”
by alan, penzance
Saturday, October 10 2009, 9:30AM
“are you saying the NHS, and who cares whether it was the hospital or the primary care trust, have a letter saying moving Upper gi cancer surgery to Derriford is illegal?
I'm not worried out them sharing it with the councillors we know they are all in bed together, but what about us, the cancer patients who stood up month after mnnth and went to meetings asking for a proper consultation. If this is true, they are worse than I ever thought. possible.
.”
by Graham Webster (Vice Chair of HIC), St Ives, Cornwall
Friday, October 09 2009, 5:32PM
“If this service transfers the NHS will be breaking the law and their own lawyers have told them that.
Sadly, Cornwall Council will be complicit in that action - shame on you councillors.
Both organisations will be left exposed to legal challenge and believe me, there will be a legal challenge.
Sadly, the outcome might come too late to stop the transfer and prevent patients from having to travel to Plymouth for surgery for this very nasty condition. Having left Cornwall the chances of its return will be remote and this will provide the platform for other cancer services to be withdrawn from our county.
Ann James was asked to provide the legal advice obtained by the NHS to OSC. In responding she said the PCT had never sought legal advice and therefore, there was nothing to share. But the RCHT had obtained the legal advice and they are part of the NHS too. Yet not one councillor could see what she was up to and contest her response.
So Mrs James answer me this:
have you ever been given a copy of the legal advice obtained by the RCHT in regard to the removal of Upper GI Cancer Surgery from Truro to Plymouth????
if so, why have you never shared that advice with elected representatives of Cornwall????
Come on Ann, you are leaving us now, to go to Devon I believe, so do the right thing, just for once be open, honest and transparent and think about patients.
I know, you know, this is illegal!!!!”
by Jude Robinson, Camborne
Thursday, October 08 2009, 9:24AM
“If what Anne is saying is true, Cornwall's councillors should hang their heads in shame. They are there to represent and stand up for people , not be bossed around by staff. They are elected to take responsibility and make decisions and they employ the council staff to carry them out. If they can't do that, they don't deserve their allowances.”
by Anne, Truro
Wednesday, October 07 2009, 5:36PM
“I think the Conservatives do care, you need to give them a little time. They were the Councillors who opposed the moving cancer in the first place. My local Councillor says they are told what to do by the Council staff and they are not allowed to argue with them or they will lose their allowances and the staff have to work with the NHS in lots of meetings. I think that the Councillors know people are scared of losing more cancer services, cancer is so awful for many families in Cornwall, they know we need to keep things here. I trust them to do the right thing especially if the NHS try to take more things away. Anyway last week they said Ann James works for Devon anyway so why is she allowed to take patients away from Cornwall ??”