28/03/18
We are delighted and relieved to hear that the decision has been taken not to take certain cancer and combined chemo/radiotherapy treatments out of Cornwall*. Many people have been campaigning for this to happen and we are so glad that being able to mount a petition via 38 Degrees helped to boost their numbers considerably. It is so important to exert our right to a say in matters of such great importance to us all, and taking part in petitioning, consultations and - where necessary - demonstrations is a vital part of our democracy. People power matters and it works!
Thank you to the 38 Degrees team for helping us to play our part in this way
All good wishes
Michelle
*NHS England met with Cornish MPs at Westminster yesterday (March 27). While it is still reviewing the feedback, MPs say that it has “assured MPs that the proposals will not see services being moved out of Cornwall”.
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cancer-services-not-moved-out-1394183
NHS England Modernising Cancer Treatment Proposals look set to take treatment for several forms of cancer, and combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, out of Cornwall to Devon.
Please sign this petition asking them to leave our cancer treatment provision alone. Thank you for caring.
Why is this important?
We at 38 Degrees St Ives Branch, and the Cornwall Cancer Team, find the proposals without merit. Many cancer patients will have to travel much further for treatment every day for a number of weeks. This will be detrimental to their recovery and it is doubtful that all sick patients will even undertake such a venture and may instead opt for a more detrimental treatment or even no formal treatment at all. More people will die as a result.
The travelling regime of a potentially two hundred miles plus journey for treatment every day (a 6-hour minimum round trip per day from W Cornwall) over 6-7 weeks will not aid recovery. Also travel costs reimbursement schemes and assisted travel have been severely cut. Public transport is not an option across much of Cornwall and is expensive for someone on benefits or pension. This is unjust.
We have over 500,000 residents and the proposed regional centres are for half a million plus, so this shouldn't be an issue in any case. Such a plan also ignores the distinctive demographics and geography of Cornwall and that RCHT in Truro already provides (and paid for) equipment and expertise, which will consequently be under utilised. We have a good, modern facility here in Cornwall which needs to be used to capacity, not under utilised due to a centralising cutting exercise because we fall a little below the numbers threshold - we have unique geographic, demographic and economic constraints in Cornwall which mean we need our own facility left intact.
How it will be delivered
