COME CLEAN ABOUT CHRISTIES CALL - LEECH AND STUNELL

12.22.11am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 17th Apr 2005

John Leech, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Manchester Withington.

"Greater Manchester Health bosses must come clean about the terms of reference of their review of cancer services in Greater Manchester and I am launching a campaign today to save the Christie Hospital from any proposals that could spell the end of the world-famous cancer care and treatment centre" says Manchester Councillor John Leech, Liberal Democrat

Parliamentary Candidate for Manchester Withington.

John Leech is calling for the people of the North West to have their say before it is too late. John added "We should all have the chance to express our support for Christies from the start and not just at the end of the review. Patients and the people of the North West regard the Christie as a jewel in the crown of the NHS and we will fight all the way to save it!"

John Leech has written to the Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority Dr Neil Goodwin asking for the terms of reference of the latest three month review of cancer services in the Greater Manchester conurbation to be put clearly into the public domain and for consultation with patients and the public to be made a key part of the

review immediately and not after proposals for significant changes to services are drawn up by the Authority.

John Leech said "Strategic Health bosses have started a review of cancer care services including the world-famous Christie Hospital in Withington, South Manchester. This review has already been challenged by sixty doctors who fear that the review could lead to the break-up of the specialist cancer care services at Christie an internationally known centre of excellence for the treatment of cancer. But patients and the people of the North West are being left in the dark as Health bosses dismiss the doctors' fears in the strongest possible terms without saying why their concerns are unfounded. The people of Manchester and the North west have huge affection for the Christie Hospital and its work and back it to the hilt - we are entitled to know what this review is about and to make our support for the Christie crystal clear to Health bosses from day one of this review. If there is nothing to hide and the doctors have 'got this wrong' then let us see the paperwork that has set up this review - I will use Freedom of Information legislation to get at the facts of what this review includes if necessary - we are entitled to know what exactly is being reviewed!"

Andrew Stunell, who is standing for re-election as the Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove, said "People across the region are coming to us to register their support for keeping Christie Hospital open as a specialist cancer care hospital with a full range of services linked together to provide complete treatment coverage for patients. We totally share the public alarm at doctors' fears of a break-up of services at the Christie. It is not good enough for Health bosses to give bland assurances that everything will be alright if we sit tight and wait for the review in

three months time - the people are entitled to know what is being discussed and to make their views known now. Liberal Democrats across the North West will fight to get the answers for the people of the region from Health bosses and to defend Christies' role as a world-class centre of excellence for cancer care and treatment!"

ENDS....................

Saturday 16th April 2005

For further information please contact John Leech on 07753659487 or Andrew Stunell on 07743311593.

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