The public are to be given a chance to voice their views over the future of cancer treatment services in Ayrshire.
Top brass at NHS Ayrshire & Arran this week rubber stamped a three-month public consultation exercise over Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapies in the region.
Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) is a collective term for all anti-cancer drug treatments.
Those treatments include chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Since 2020, the health board has made some changes to the way SACT services are delivered locally - primarily for patient safety reasons during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, NHS Ayrshire & Arran now proposes ‘retaining’ some of the temporary changes and their Board has agreed that a three-month period of consultation will begin on Monday, February 13.
A spokesperson said: “During the consultation, we will share details on the updated delivery model for SACT services with local communities so that people can give their feedback and views on the proposal to retain the changes that have been made.
“Further details on the consultation and how people can get involved will be shared when it gets underway.
“We will publish information on the NHS Ayrshire & Arran website https://www.nhsaaa.net/about-us/get-involved/ and printed versions of the engagement information will be available in various community-based locations, as well as health care sites in Ayrshire.”
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Director of Acute Services, Joanne Edwards, said: “Our teams here at NHS Ayrshire & Arran have the aim of delivering a safe and equitable SACT service to local patients that need these types of treatments.
“Undoubtedly the pandemic created urgent need for swift changes to the way the service was being delivered pre-Covid.
“Our staff and cancer patients were kept informed and involved as these changes were enacted in 2020.
“However, we recognise that the wider public may not be aware of how cancer treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy are currently being delivered in Ayrshire, compared with prior to the pandemic.
“That is why we want to update everyone and describe what those temporary changes look like, as well as what the teams delivering this care want to keep on a more permanent basis.
“We have been liaising closely with Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement (HIS-CE) to ensure the correct and most meaningful information is shared with members of the public.
“This is being prepared as part of an upcoming three-month consultation period, where we will describe and explain the current services, as well as the reasons we believe they should be retained going forward.
“That is not to say that this service should be set in stone forever, as this field of medicine is constantly evolving, with rapid developments in infusions and chemotherapy treatments.
“We know that we need to be in a position to adapt our service as appropriate to best serve local patients in the medium and the longer term.
“By taking the opportunity to read through the information during the consultation period, people living in Ayrshire can help us to ensure we understand the impact of retaining these changes and make any mitigations that people flag to us.
“It will also give us insight into how best to shape future services for SACT in Ayrshire."
She added: "I’d encourage everyone to read the information when it is published and get involved by completing the upcoming survey from 13 February – your voice is important.”
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