A COUNCILLOR is concerned that residents battling cancer will face an ‘impossible journey’ if treatments are moved from Ayr to Crosshouse.

Cllr Alec Clark fears the decision by NHS Ayrshire and Arran to phase out chemotherapy treatments at Station 15 at Ayr would leave residents to the south of Ayr isolated.

It comes as an online petition ‘Do not close Station 15 at Ayr Hospital’ gathered 15,000 signatures last week after the announcement on the future of cancer care.

The local health board stated they would move Tier 2 treatment which treat main tumour types and patients with some less common cancers to Crosshouse, whilst Tier 3 which would provide outreach facilities with nurse-led treatments at Ayr’s Station 15.

But the Girvan councillor, who once campaigned against the suggested closure of Ayr’s Accident and Emergency, has vowed to fight for cancer patients who could now face a difficult journey to access critical treatment.

He told the Advertiser: “I’m really quite concerned about the closure of Station 15 which has provided top class health care for the people of Carrick. For people who are receiving treatment, especially if you are from south of Ayr. The transport available isn’t great, if you are using public transport it is difficult, even driving the roads and route is limited.”

“Even in the town of Girvan, constituents who have used it have nothing but praise for it. We want to make sure that we retain that facility.

“Scotland is a country made up of rural communities. People in rural areas have the same right and equality than people in urban areas.

“If they can close Ayr, then why not just say ‘we’ll close both down and we’ll move it to Glasgow – they may as well say that.”

Cllr Clark feels Crosshouse is far too cut off for people in Carrick to access, with a journey there on public transport with some journey’s requiring a bus and train to get there, taking 1hr 31 mins.

He said: “Crosshouse Hospital is a very difficult hospital to access, to get there from Girvan you’d have to make your way to Ayr, then from Ayr to Kilmarnock.”

“It will take you the whole of the day by the time you get there and get back. If you were a seriously ill patient, that extra journey could make the difference to your recovery. At least with Ayr hospital there is a bus directly there on a regular basis.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran refuted any claims that station 15 could be closed and are looking to for members of the public to read the details of proposals.

An eight week engagement and informing period started last week (Monday, January 13) with a focus group arranged on Wednesday, February 19 3 to 5pm at Ayrshire Cancer Support on Wellington Square.

Joanne Edwards, Director of Acute Services said: “There are no plans to close Station 15 at University Hospital Ayr (UHA). We are currently engaging on a Chemotherapy Service Review that proposes changes to the way the service is delivered in order to meet growing demand. The plans outline that chemotherapy will continue to be delivered at UHA. We encourage members of the public to read the details of the proposals on our website and participate in the online feedback survey, which is open until March 8, 2020.”

The Scottish Government insisted that ‘no decisions’ have been taken on the future of cancer treatment in Ayrshire.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As NHS Ayrshire and Arran has made clear, there are no plans to close the Station 15 chemotherapy unit at University Hospital Ayr and no decisions have been made on any changes to the future delivery of cancer services in the area.”

“Any formal proposals for change must be informed by meaningful engagement with local people and with the Scottish Health Council. NHS Ayrshire and Arran this week launched an eight-week engagement process on a new service model which we’d encourage patients and families to get involved with.

“Part of this engagement must be to explore how services and support can be brought closer to home for patients.”