THE decision to set up a committee to discuss cancer surgery in Colchester without anyone from the town on it is staggering.

More generous people would call it a surprise, but the sad truth is, it is not surprising.

There is no suggestion it has been done deliberately to save Southend’s specialist urology surgery team and cost Colchester its specialist team.

But it appears to have been done without any thought and the ramifications are massive.

If you have two specialist cancer surgeries for urology, and Essex does, and you are told you can only have one, and Essex was, then it makes sense to have a discussion about which to keep.

It makes sense for those elected by us to join together and make a recommendation on best evidence.

It does not make sense for the committee to be so geographically biased. There are seven people on the joint health overview and scrutiny committee to review proposals for the provision of urological cancer surgeryin Essex.

Two are from Southend.

Two are from Thurrock. One is from Brentwood, one from Braintree District Council and one from Clacton.

This committee won’t make the final decision, but a recommendation from a committee of the elected representatives of a council is a powerful voice indeed.

And because of that both sides have to be heard.

Click HERE to read more about our Save our Cancer Surgery campaign.