A HEAD and neck cancer patient has demanded all Oxford’s cancer services are put under one roof.

When Oxford Cancer Centre opened in 2009 the unit based at the Churchill Hospital was supposed to bring all Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals’ Trust cancer services together in one place.

It was hoped it would make life easier for those undergoing cancer treatment if all services were under one roof.

But in Friday’s Oxford Mail, we revealed the trust is now reviewing its original plans to relocate head and neck cancer services from the John Radcliffe to the Oxford Cancer Centre.

Pictures also emerged showing ‘thousands of pounds’ worth of equipment left under dustsheets in an empty room called the Blenheim Suite.

Proposals to move the cancer head and neck services to the Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital were agreed by the trust in July 2010, and were due to be completed last month.

But bosses said they had been forced to reconsider the move in light of ‘financial constraints’.

Head and neck cancer patient Paul McGough said the trust had not fulfilled its promise.

Mr McGough, from Thame, was treated for a nasopharyngeal cancer in 2004 and spent several weeks in and out of the John Radcliffe. He is in remission.

He said: “All we want is to be part of the Oxford Cancer Centre, the original plan, to be integrated and to complete the Cancer Service hub, as promised and as committed in July 2010.

“We want to join the other cancer services that have already moved there – desperately so – to have access to the purpose-built facilities in the Blenheim.

“The staff and patients deserve to be treated better than this.

“Head and Neck Cancer services have more right to this space in the Cancer Centre.

“It was designed for us – we’ve raised charitable funds to equip it.

“We feel they have lost the plot and we feel as though the ORH board is running rough shod over head and neck cancer patients. We feel betrayed and badly let down.”

Paul Brennan, ORH’s director of clinical services, insisted all of the equipment pictured, which includes medical equipment, tables and chairs, will be used.

The ORH must find £52m of savings in this year alone.

Mr Brennan said the cost of splitting the head and neck cancer services from the general services, which will remain on the John Radcliffe site, would top £1.2m, when taking into consideration the extra rotas of doctors and nurses needed.

Sir Jonathan Michael, chief executive of Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said no decision had yet been taken to revise the plans, but said the “decision must be looked at again” in light of the trust’s financial position.