YOUR voices will be heard!

The Gazette has presented a petition to Number 10 Downing Street calling for urology cancer surgery to be kept in Colchester.

A total of 8,000 people signed petitions, filled out coupons or sent letters or emails in support of the bid to keep the life-saving surgery at Colchester General Hospital.

And yesterday we presented the petition, together with copies of our articles, to the office of Prime Minister David Cameron.

He will consider the application before sending it on to the Department for Health.

The visit was orchestrated by Colchester MP Will Quince, who backed the campaign and helped to collect the 8,000 signatures.

Mr Quince said he hoped NHS England would consider the geographical implications of having one centre of excellence for Essex.

He said: “I understand it would work in cities like London and Manchester, but it would be a long round trip for patients in north Essex to go to Southend.

“Yes, it isarelatively small number of people, but these are people who are undergoing surgery and to ask them to go from end of Essex to another is not an acceptable situation.

“In addition, Colchester has one of the most modern radiotherapy centres in Europe.

“The hospital has invested £250,000 in urology surgery and has some of the best doctors in the country.”

Mr Quince said his job was to listen to and represent his constituents.

“It is important to show the Government the strength of feeling around this issue.

“I am pleased to be presenting this petition which has been so excellently run by the Gazette and Essex County Standard.

“It is really important the Secretary of State for Health understands the clinical argument and how important it us to our community.”

Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin also attended the presentation.

He was representing his constituents from Harwich and the villages surrounding Colchester, who would have even further to travel for surgery if it is moved to Southend.

He said: “Colchester General Hospital has had some bad publicity over the past year.

“It is so important for the Prime Minister to understand there is huge public support for the hospital because most people think it is excellent.

“This campaign makes sure not only are people’s voices heard, but they can see their voices have been heard.”

The campaign was launched after guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said there should be only one centre for the specialist surgery in Essex.

Southend and Colchester hospital trusts are both expected to bid for the centre of excellence.

Among the submissions we presented to the Government yesterday, were hundreds of moving letters written by patients and their loved ones.

Some told of their own fight against cancer and praised the excellent care they had received by urology consultant John Corr and his team.

Michael Lang, chairman at the North East Essex Urology Cancer Support Group in Colchester, has been suffering with prostate cancer for five years.

He said: “If it wasn’t for the excellent treatment I’ve had from Mr Corr and his team of dedicated staff I would probably not have recovered from cancer and wouldn’t be alive today.”

He added: “The new radiotherapy unit is one of the most modern units in the country, and with the new chemotherapy unit coming to the Colchester General Hospital it surely makes sense to keep the urology cancer treatment at the same hospital.”

Other cancer patients questioned how they would get to Southend Hospital by early morning to be prepared for surgery.

And many pointed out elderly relatives would find it impossible to visit their loved ones.

Correspondents also argued Colchester General Hospital was the natural choice as it has one of the best radiotherapy centres in Europe. It also has an on-going fundraising campaign, supported by the Gazette, to create a £4.5 million cancer centre.

Gazette editor James Wills said: “We are proud to represent our community and help to get its voice heard.

“Residents in Colchester and north Essex have spoken in glowing terms about the urology cancer team in Colchester and are adamant the surgical centre should be based here.

“We hope their representations will be accepted alongside the clinical case being put forward by Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust.”