A SENIOR politician is today expected to back calls not to scrap head and neck cancer surgery at Ipswich Hospital.

A SENIOR politician is today expected to back calls not to scrap head and neck cancer surgery at Ipswich Hospital.

Andrew Lansley, the shadow health minister, was due to visit the hospital today and meet with concerned staff, worried about the consequences of the proposed move.

Mr Lansley, MP for South Cambridgeshire, will talk to oral and maxillofacial consultant, Huw Davies, and plans to chat to patients too.

If he supports The Evening Star's campaign to stop the Anglia Cancer Network's proposal to switch surgery to Norwich, he will be joining more than 1,900 people who have so far signed the Star's petition.

The campaign has already received the backing of Tory MP Tim Yeo and Ben Gummer, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Ipswich.

Mr Gummer, who will also be at Ipswich Hospital today for the meeting, said: “I'm very pleased that Andrew is coming to Ipswich to see why Ipswich residents are in uproar about the cuts to cancer services at Ipswich Hospital.

“I am sure, like me and like many other people, once he has seen the evidence he will see that these cuts are completely unnecessary and will be bad for patients and their relatives.

“Andrew believes we should treat people as locally as possible whenever possible.”

The news of Mr Lansley's visit comes the day after it emerged that health bosses trying to force through the move have no evidence to prove that specialist centres would provide better care for head and neck cancer patients.

It also comes as another public consultation into the changes was due to be held today between 2pm and 4pm at Ipswich's Corn Exchange.

To make your voice heard visit www.eveningstar.co.uk and click on the cancer care link to sign the petition.

Are you concerned about the changes to head and neck cancer? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.