PATIENTS needing head and neck cancer surgery in Worcestershire get a better service than their counterparts in neighbouring counties.
That is not just our view – it is the official finding of an audit of cancer services across the country.
And it makes a mockery of plans to end such surgery in Worcestershire and centralise operations in Gloucestershire.
An expert review panel for the Three Counties Cancer Network (3CCN) has recommended one centre to deal with head and neck cancer sufferers in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
Hospital bosses in our county are fighting the proposals and we support them all the way.
The new review of cancer services puts head and neck surgery in Worcestershire well ahead of current provision in the other two counties.
Management at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust say the findings show its service should remain local for the benefit of local people.
We could not agree more. Battling cancer is tough enough without the added stress of long journeys for patients and their families.
The focus should be on keeping these services closer to home rather than taking them further away.
It is important hospital bosses – and the rest of us – keep the pressure on 3CCN in advance of a final decision being made.
We have some of the best services available for people fighting this particular type of cancer. Let us make sure we keep them here.
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