Chris Mole MP today sent his formal response to the Anglia Cancer Network which has been consulting on 'Proposals for providing specialist head and neck cancer services for Suffolk residents within the Suffolk PCT area.'

In his submission Chris concludes:

"Without an assessment of a significant enhancement to 30 day morbidity the ACN should not confirm the proposal to change the current arrangements.

"The benefits to a very small number of patients may be outweighed by the disbenefits to others affected on Maxillo-facial trauma services at Ipswich Hospital. The NHS has to be persuaded that patients, such as road traffic accident victims, are not put at risk by having to be transferred to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital following 'stabilise and transfer' proceedures.

Chris also observed the distance to the Norwich and Norfolk would mean a significant amount of travelling for patients, relatives and consultant surgeons and noted neither the consultants providing current services, nor the Cancer Services User Group were in favour of the proposals.

Chris concludes:

"There is a case for change, but this has not been strongly made and the theoretical benefits for a handful of patients may be outweighed by the uncertainty that reconfiguration will necessarily deliver improvement and the risk to other services provided at Ipswich Hospital that are dependant on the Maxillo-facial team.

"It the Network decides to proceed with implementing its proposals it should seek to enable as much split site working as possible with a combined Norfolk/Suffolk Multi Disciplinary Team and with the minimum number of patients being transferred to Norwich and then only for the most complex of surgery."