The petition
SAVE THE R.U.H. BATH SPECIALIST GYNAECOLOGICAL CANCER CENTRE
The R.U.H. Bath has a renowned gynaecological cancer team with excellent clinical outcomes. The team is already fully 'centralised' and meets weekly in Bristol as a joint specialist, multi-disciplinary team for the whole of AVON, SOMERSET & WILTS CANCER NETWORK. Against the advice of leading clinicians and current patients, LOCAL MANAGERS plan to transfer up to 90 R.U.H. complex gynae cancer patients per annum to Bristol, WITHOUT and DESPITE the essential, significant finance investment stipulated by the Department of Health's cancer policy document,'Improving Outcomes Guidance'
John Giles, Chair Gynae Group, Avon, Somerset & Wilts Cancer Network, July 2007, stated 'decommissioning the Bath services will not improve services to the population of Bath or the Network. In fact it is most likely to be detrimental'.
B&NES Health Overview & Scrutiny panel has UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED the plan. Serious concerns have been raised in light of the Bristol Inquiry, about the risk to patients of being housed in St.Michael's Hospital, which has no Intensive Therapy Unit. Potential negative impacts to the Royal United Hospital patients include: increased waiting times and length of cancer 'pathway'; de-skilling and dumbing-down of R.U.H. clinical expertise; loss of the R.U.H. emergency gynaecological service; the stress to patients of the extra travelling and parking involved; and the isolation to patients from family and friends at this difficult, emotional and vulnerable time.
We, the undersigned oppose the decommissioning by Bath & North East Somerset Primary Care Trust of the excellent, accredited, specialist Gynaecological Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospital, Bath and the transfer of R.U.H. operations to an over-stretched and under-resourced service in Bristol
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