LATE last year the Evening News issued a rallying call to all those concerned about the future provision of vital health services in the city. Today we are delighted to report that Edinburgh has answered that call.
To date more than 10,000 people
have signed our petition calling on the Government to give a commitment to retaining essential cancer and neurology services at the Sick Kids hospital – and the signatures are still coming in.
The likely impact of their withdrawal has been made clear in a series of articles run by this newspaper over the past two months. Not least of all, it could radically alter NHS Lothian's plans to build a new children's hospital, most probably near the new Royal Infirmary at Little France.
The removal of child cancer services would seriously undermine the status of the institution and the danger is the project would effectively be downgraded to a children's wing of the main hospital.
But we have also demonstrated in human terms the likely repercussions of losing advanced cancer cures and research, highlighting the additional strain which would be put on young patients and their families were they to face the prospect of either travelling to Glasgow, or even Aberdeen, for life-saving treatment.
Last year the Evening News also campaigned for improved facilities for teenage cancer patients, showing the specific difficulties such young people face when coping with serious illnesses. Adding to the trauma by forcing them to travel long distances is needless.
Prior to May's election, the SNP manifesto stated quite clearly that the party opposed the centralisation of health services. Subsequently, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told this newspaper in June that the Capital had a "central role" to play in health provision and she must now be held to this pledge. Any move to downgrade child cancer diagnosis, treatment and research here would be a clear breach of the position they have taken.
In the next week or so the Scottish Government is expected to receive a report recommending the future structure of child cancer care.That will go out to consultation, with a final decision expected in May. But why prolong the agony? The people of Edinburgh have already spoken. It is only to be hoped that the SNP is listening and will honour its election commitment.
If you haven't signed up yet we ask you to add your voice today on the coupon contained in this newspaper and posted on our website.
The full article contains 423 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
