Many people know that senior cancer clinicians wrote twice to Welsh Government about the plans for the new Velindre Cancer Centre. They asked for an independent clinical review.
https://colocate-velindre.co.uk/clinical-letter-to-ministers-7/
Those clinicians (57 signed the first letter, 163 the second) worked in the Health Boards whose patients travel to Velindre for radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Velindre clinicians also wrote
There are other, less well known letters. This time from clinicians in Velindre themselves, spelling out their concerns about the Velindre plans. Again, asking for an independent external review. They wrote to Welsh Government Ministers and Officials, as well as their own Chief Executive and Medical Director. You can read the letters in full on Welsh Government’s own website: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2020-12/atisn14500doc2.pdf
Who sent the letters?
A total of 38 clinicians signed the letters. Their names have been removed from the copies on the website to protect their privacy. In an accompanying email, though, the staff are described as:
- 17 Consultant oncologists
- 4 consultant radiologists
- 3 consultants in palliative care, and
- 14 senior nurses
What did the letters say
The clinicians described their anxiety for the future of cancer care in South East Wales if the new Velindre Cancer Centre is not built on the same site as an acute hospital. In particular, they see danger for
- patient care
- patient safety
- research
- training and
- future recruitment of high calibre medical and non-medical staff.
What did the authors want?
Their request was simple. Like us, they merely asked for an independent external review- just like the one carried out in Mount Vernon, for example.
Their voices were not heard.
Sadly, their polite request was not granted. There has been no external review. We fear that we will all be living with the consequences for many years to come.
