EMERGENCY care will suffer if head and neck cancer surgery leaves Ipswich Hospital.That is the view being put before the hospital's board meeting today by its chief executive, Andrew Reed, and medical director, Peter Donaldson.

EMERGENCY care will suffer if head and neck cancer surgery leaves Ipswich Hospital.

That is the view being put before the hospital's board meeting today by its chief executive, Andrew Reed, and medical director, Peter Donaldson.

In a report exploring the plans to scrap the surgery at Ipswich and move it to Norwich, a change opposed by The Evening Star, thousands of patients, clinical experts and politicians, it was confirmed that trauma services are also in jeopardy.

The report, authored by Mr Reed and Mr Donaldson, said: “There is a risk that some consultant staff would be tempted to leave Ipswich Hospital if they were no longer able to provide any cancer surgery, and there is significant prospect that if this were to materialise then it would be difficult to attract a replacement without the opportunity for to operate on cancer cases.

“This is itself would then cause greater difficulty in the provision of a 24/7 emergency service.

“The logistics of a full transfer of head and neck services to the Norfolk and Norwich are likely to mean that it would be difficult to sustain 24/7 maxillofacial trauma services at Ipswich.

“The cessation of this service would represent in itself a significant service change and this has not been subject to public consultation.”

The report also notes that changes could impact the hospital's radiotherapy service.

As a result the board will today be asked to agree that it should oppose the Anglia Cancer Network's plans to get rid of the expert service, and that is should instead back proposals to merge the teams at Ipswich and Norwich.

Have you needed facial trauma treatment at Ipswich Hospital? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.

THE Evening Star's campaign to save head and neck cancer at Ipswich Hospital is one of the newspaper's most successful ever.

Since the unelected and unaccountable Anglia Cancer Network (ACN) announced its intention to scrap the life-saving and much respected service at the hospital and transfer it to Norwich more than 2,100 people have signed our petition online or in the paper to fight the changes.

Concerns from expert clinicians include worries the excellent oral and maxillofacial department at Ipswich Hospital could be downgraded if surgeons leave because they cannot carry out the surgery anymore, meaning the hospital could be less equipped to deal with facial trauma, which could ultimately lead to the downgrading of the hospital's Accident & Emergency department.