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MPs Nick Hurd and John Randall with Community Voice Chair, Joan Davis |
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John McDonnell MP "This a cross-party, completely united campaign to retain cancer services on the site.
"People who are very sick should not be travelling far away for their treatment and Mount Vernon is the ideal solution."
Gareth Thomas MP "This is a cross-party campaign to support cancer services at Mount Vernon Hospital.
I strongly support the campaign to end the uncertainty that has surrounded Mount Vernon (since it lost its Accident and Emergency Department) and protect the essential cancer services it provides." |
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Background to this campaign
- Mount Vernon Hospital moved to its 67 acre site in Northwood in 1902.
- Before the mid 1990s it was a full DGH but difficulty in recruiting doctors in training to serve in the A&E led to the closure of that department. A MIU was opened on the site instead.
- In 1997, the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre was evaluated against the criteria set out in the Calman Hine report and was deemed unable to comply with its integration of services standards. In 1999 Mount Vernon and Watford hospitals were joined into a single trust in Eastern region but the Mount Vernon site remained in London region.
- The Varley report, 2002, recommended a new integrated cancer centre to be built in a new hospital site in Hertfordshire and an ambulatory radiotheraphy unit be provided at Mount Vernon.
- The 2003 Public Consultation 'Investing in your Health' by Beds and Herts SHA agreed the proposed relocation of the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre onto a new acute hospital site at Hatfield. A commitment was made to maintain cancer services, including ambulatory radiotheraphy and chemotheraphy at Mount Vernon.
- In 2005, North West London's Ambulatory Review recommended that no radiotheraphy be provided at Mount Vernon once the existing oncology centre moved from Mount Vernon in 2013. The effective choice proposed for Hillingdon and Harrow residents was to travel to Hammersmith or Hatfield for regular treatment.
- In Nov 2006, Hertfordshire's two primary care trusts (PCTs) announced the outcome of their review of the Investing In Health Strategy. Their main decision is that the new hospital will not go ahead as it is 'unaffordable'. The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust announced that subject to public consultation the Lister or the QEII will become the Trust's main site for acute hospital services in future. With regard to Mount Vernon, the PCTs stated that they intend to 'address the future of this important service as soon as is possible' and the East and North Herts NHS Trust, who run the cancer centre at Mount Vernon stated that 'Mount Vernon continues to be an integral part of the Trust'.
The Mount Vernon Cancer Centre is the biggest south of Birmingham and serves a population of over 2 million people. Around 4,000 patients receive radiotheraphy treatment from Mount Vernon each year. By residence, 48% of radiotheraphy patients at Mount Vernon come from Beds and Herts, and 31% come from London (including 11% from Hillingdon). 11% come from Berkshire and 7% from Bucks. The site has its own unique services - the Marie Curie Ward's research; the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre (CT, MRI and PET); the award winning Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre's patient support services and the Michael Sobell Hospice. The site has also benefited by the decision of East Herts NHS Trust to invest over £20 million in new bunkers that will bring the number of linear accelerators up to nine.
Above all, the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre has the skill and expertise of its team of doctors nurses, and radiotherapists who prove that they can provide a service second to none.
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