Professor Karol Sikora is a world leader in oncology and former director of WHO Cancer Programme in Geneva and Lyon. He has written a stark, open letter to the Equitix COO, Siôn Jones, about the “scandalous” closed cancer centres which are needed in a time of crisis…
In a recent Tweet, Professor Sikora declared that we are in the “worst cancer crisis” of his lifetime, and that having empty, world-class cancer centres is “scandalous”.
He added: “Funds and staff are in place to reopen in weeks.
“I am publishing this open letter to Equitix COO, Siôn Jones, in the hope to speed that process up.
“It is in their power.”
The centres that he refers to cost £240 million to set up, and offered a range of cancer treatments, including proton therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
The largest centres were located in South Wales, Northumberland, Liverpool and Thames Valley, with a community diagnostics centre in Somerset.
Following the liquidation of the group in June, Rutherford’s assets were handed to London-based investment business Equitix to find a buyer.
But despite four bids to buy the centres, and potentially getting them restarted by Christmas, they remain unused.
The professor’s open letter, which he has directly shared with Health Tech World, reads:
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Dear Siôn, I have written to you twice before and received essentially holding responses. As you know the four Rutherford Cancer Centres in Newport, Liverpool, Northumbria and Reading ceased to be operational nearly six months ago, they remain closed with the buildings gathering dust. I share responsibility for their closure, but I am determined to see these centres treating patients again. Funds are in place, senior staff are still willing to return and we are assured by the regulator that the proton machines, the LINACS and the diagnostic scanners could all be up and running for patients within 12 weeks. We are living through the worst cancer crisis of my career of almost fifty years in the field. There are two quality metrics used by the NHS to demonstrate this. The first is the percentage of patients suspected by their GP of having cancer seen within two weeks. Ironically, I was on the committee responsible for the creation of the two-week wait as a stopgap measure in 1999. Numbers have fallen precipitously over the last two years and in many places are completely unacceptable. The second metric is the percentage of patients in which the time from the diagnosis of cancer to the first definitive treatment be it surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, is less than 62 days. The target is currently 85%, however this has fallen even more dramatically in some parts of the country to less than 60%. Our facilities have the capability to treat hundreds and hundreds of patients – it is the responsibility of all involved to make that happen. These serious delays will inevitably result in stage migration of cancers leading to a significantly poorer outlook for many patients. This will have already cost lives, with far more suffering to come. Under the circumstances I would implore you to expedite getting the superbly equipped Rutherford Centres up and running again for the sake of British cancer patients. As you know we have identified several investment funds for this, but your team has not properly engaged with them. So far you have had no discussions with key staff: medical physics, clinical governance, consultant oncologists, radiography, nursing and IT. Equitix holds the key to getting theses centres back open – I am publishing this letter in good faith to hopefully fasten the movements of the corporate machine. With your co-operation, thousands of cancer patients across the country could receive state-of-the-art cancer treatment within weeks. I look forward to seeing how we can work constructively together at this very difficult time for British cancer services – I am available for a discussion at any time, day or night, of your choosing. Best wishes, Karol Professor Karol Sikora |
The professor has provided advice and services to hundreds of cancer centres around the world, helping also to develop proton beam capable facilities in a number of countries.
He was the Founding Dean and Professor of Medicine at Britain’s first independent Medical School at the University of Buckingham and has published over 300 papers and written or edited 20 books.
