MP WELCOMES GOVERNMENT U-TURN OVER CORNWALL'S CANCER SERVICES

10.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 16th Sep 2008

Julia has welcomed a Government U-turn on the provision of cancer treatment services in Cornwall.

Ministers have been urged to review plans to move throat and neck cancer treatment services to Plymouth, after pressure from local campaigners led by Cornwall County Council.

Miss Goldsworthy, who was named cancer campaigner of the year by Breakthrough Breast Cancer in 2007, said ministers had been stopped in their tracks because of a strong local campaign.

She said: "This is a dramatic but long overdue U-turn by the Government.

"All the services being moved out of Treliske were being moved by a Government agenda.

"Now ministers are being forced to bow to pressure from local campaigners, led by Cornwall County Council, to instigate a full consultation into these proposals.

"Many people in Cornwall felt that the Government had not done enough in-depth research into the effects of this policy, and it's great to see that they have finally come to their senses."

The Falmouth and Camborne MP added that the Government's drive to move services out of Cornwall had cost the county an excellent chairman of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust.

She said: "It is a real shame that along the way we have lost such an excellent chairman in Peter Davies.

"I just hope that ministers now take on board his advice and actually carry out this consultation."