VIDEO Opposition towards attempts to move head and neck cancer surgery from Ipswich Hospital is gathering pace after more than 2,000 people signed a petition at the weekend.

OPPOSITION towards attempts to move head and neck cancer surgery from Ipswich Hospital is gathering pace after more than 2,000 people signed a petition at the weekend.

Ben Gummer, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Ipswich, encouraged people to sign the petition in the town centre on Saturday in protest against the controversial plans.

The MP hopeful and other volunteers manned a stall on The Cornhill between 10am and 2pm.

The petition, which now features more than 3,000 signatures, will be presented to the Department of Health in the coming weeks.

A further 2,500 people have signed The Evening Star's petition which campaigns against a possible move of the service to Norwich, proposed by the Anglia Cancer Network (ACN).

Mr Gummer said: “Everywhere I have gone in Ipswich the strength of feeling about this very important cancer service is enormous.

“Gordon Brown says he wants to listen to people's concerns and if he has any sense he will stop these cuts going through.”

Despite overwhelming opposition from clinicians, patients, charities and medical bodies, Suffolk Primary Care Trust (PCT) officially gave its backing to the move last Wednesday.

But the PCT has stressed the need to maintain trauma services at Ipswich, to improve transport for patients, and to allow patients in west Suffolk to be treated in Cambridge if they want.

Do you think head and neck cancer services should stay at Ipswich Hospital? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk