Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, today called on the NHS Strategic Health Authority for Yorkshire and Humberside to look again at the transfer of out-of-hours oncology care from Airedale General Hospital to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The move has been resisted by patient groups with some patients saying they have been "bullied" into going to Bradford when they wanted to stay at Airedale. They say they want to stay in surroundings and with doctors and nurses they are familiar with.

The long running disagreement over cancer care at Airedale boiled over earlier this year when Barnoldswick and Earby Bosom Friends pulled out of the User Group at Airedale which had been set up to resolve issues.

After the meeting at Westminster earlier today, the MP said: "I pressed the Chair of the Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority, Kathryn Riddle, and the Chief Executive, Bill McCarthy, to look into this matter which has been festering for far too long."

"My colleague, Ann Cryer, shares my concerns. And while Airedale is in her Keighley constituency, it serves many people from the West Craven part of Pendle."

"Airedale General Hospital has an outstanding reputation but it has got to listen to patients and patients' groups. The NHS belongs to all of us. Not just hospital managers."

"I am told there is an "audit of choice" showing where patients prefer to be cared for - Airedale or Bradford. Clearly, these should be published."

Airedale has applied for Foundation Trust status.

Note to Editors: The back story.

2007 Airedale propose moving the out of hours oncology beds to Bradford Royal Infirmary. Individuals and Airedale Cancer User Group mounted a local campaign.

In September 2007 Barnoldswick and Earby Bosom Friends Cancer support group (a local registered charity) joined the campaign. They took the campaign to Westminster and got the support of local MPs. In October 2007 AGH put the move on hold, in order to look more closely at the wishes of patients and to make sure the move would be as smooth as possible.

Early in 2008 a new pathway was put in place for patients to have the choice of hospital if they had complications out of hours, between AGH and Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The User Group was told that an audit of choice would take place and that it would be taken into account in future decision making. There is correspondence showing that the majority of patients chose Airedale.

BE Bosom friends were getting feed back from their members that they were being ‘bullied’ into going to BRI, they tried to raise this at the User Group, but were told that the User Group was not the place to raise such issues (they have since resigned from the User Group). They have now been given a letter from a patient who explains how she felt she was bullied into going to BRI and the bad experience that she had.

When the proposal was first talked about AGH only had one oncologist. They now have two consultant oncologists. BE Bosom Friends maintain there is now no medical or patient need for the transfer of in patient treatment, to do so would only threaten patient safety.

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