Cornwall’s MPs have been assured by NHS England representatives that radiotherapy services will not be moved out of the county.
The MPs and health officials met at Westminster this week to discuss the future of radiotherapy services and modernisation proposals following NHS England’s public consultation last October which saw thousands of local residents respond amid fears the changes could impact on cancer patients in Cornwall.
NHS England assured MPs that the proposals will not see services being moved out of Cornwall and that the responses from local residents will help shape the proposals. The main proposal is to implement 11 new radiotherapy networks which will have more joined-up working between radiotherapy providers and introduce a new clinical model to ensure that patients can access innovative treatments as close to home as possible.
The consultation received over 11,000 responses, the vast majority of which came from Devon and Cornwall. The higher than expected number of responses means that NHS England will need more time to review them and build the feedback into the proposals, which will be made public in the summer.
Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth, said: “I was very pleased to meet with NHS England to discuss their proposals and the concerns that have been raised by Cornish residents. NHS England are clear that the South West needs special consideration because of its geography and sparse population and that it absolutely recognises the importance of patients being able to access services close to home.
“The Sunrise Centre in Truro is an amazing facility saving peoples’ lives, and NHS England want to build on that by making sure that radiotherapy service providers can collaborate more so that patients have the best possible treatment and outcomes.”
West Cornwall MP Derek Thomas, added: “Cornwall is a very rural area and it’s understandable when people are concerned that services may move east rather than west.
“After the meeting today, I am reassured that this is not NHS England’s intention and that this new £130 million investment coupled with the new radiotherapy networks will provide a better level of care for cancer patients. That said, we made sure to stress to NHS England how important the Sunrise Centre and other cancer services are to the people of Cornwall and how they must be protected. The consultation received a huge response from Cornwall residents including local hospitals and health organisations, and this feedback will help shape the proposals over the coming months before they are made public in the summer.”
George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth, said: “This is about £130 million of new money coming in to invest in improved radiotherapy. I am pleased that NHS England have been very clear that it is not about the closure of any centres. It is about creating networks that can offer the best treatment for very rare cancers.
“As a group, we are fighting for Cornwall. Indeed, there is no reason why specialist work cannot be done right here in Cornwall.”
Article originally appeared on This is the West Country
The Institute cannot confirm the accuracy of this story or confirm that it presents a balanced view. If you feel this is inaccurate we would welcome your perspective and evidence that this is the case.
