MANY bladder and prostate cancer patients in parts of East Kent could face longer journeys for treatment from the end of next year.

About 70 people a year from the Canterbury region who need specialised in-patient surgery, may have to go to Gillingham or Maidstone for their operations instead of Kent and Canterbury.

The move to concentrate surgery for prostate and bladder cancers at two hospitals in west Kent was made by a majority of the county’s primary care trusts, although Canterbury and Coastal PCT was opposed.

It follows a review of prostate and bladder cancer services in Kent by one of Britain’s leading authorities on this speciality.

If it goes ahead it will mean that all in-patient urology services at Kent and Canterbury will move to Maidstone and Gillingham.

Hospital campaign group Concern for Health in East Kent (CHEK) said the proposal was bad news for K&C as it was the surgeons from urology and vascular who underpinned its ability to deliver emergency medicine.

CHEK chairman David Shortt said: “There is a real possibility that K&C could lose its emergency care centre and become a minor injuries department. It could have a domino effect across many other services at K&C.”

But Bill Gillespie, chairman of Kent and Medway Cancer Network, said the decision would not affect the emergency centre at K&C.

“It is not about moving consultants,” he said.

“About 70 specialised cases will be moved from K&C, which is about five per cent of its urology work. The other 95 per cent will continue there. The surgeons doing urology work now at K&C will continue to do so.”

A spokeswoman from East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust said it was disappointed about the plans but would work with the cancer network to make sure patients received the best care.

Mr Shortt said CHEK would fight the proposal all the way.