Hospital trust's message to patients in Scarborough and Bridlington following changes to cancer services

From today (January 27), cancer patients in and around Scarborough will no longer be able to go to their town's hospital for their first outpatient appointment. Instead, they will face an 80-mile round trip to Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

Professor Russell Patmore, Consultant in Haematology at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We apologise to anyone affected by the current changes to oncology services in our region. Recent advances in the treatment of oncology patients particularly immunotherapy and targeted radiotherapy mean that we are seeing better outcomes for cancer patients than ever before. The downside of this is that it has increased pressure on all services nationally and even internationally, stretching resources further and making it more challenging to deliver a full service in all areas of the country.

“We acknowledge that this is less convenient for some patients, however we can assure patients and their families that this offers them the best chance of receiving the right care for them at the right time.”

Over the next 12 months, 317 patients are expected to be affected by the changes in Scarborough. Of these, 47 have gynaecological or renal cancers.

In Bridlington, the total of those affected within a year will be 149, 15 of whom with gynaecological or renal cancers.

A review of the changes, which are said to be temporary, will be led by the Humber Cancer Board in three months' time.