Health chiefs are still trying to shutdown cancer treatment at Ayr and move the service to Crosshouse Hospital.
This week they finally admitted they want doctors to treat cancer patients at an enhanced unit in Kilmarnock.
All that would be left of the cancer facilities at Ayr Hospital would be nurses in an “outreach”.
Critics say the move is further downgrading and weakening of services at Ayr.
In January 2018, we first revealed the cancer ward at Ayr was under threat.
Ex-consultant John Elliott launched the “Do Not Close Station 15” campaign, saying: “This is a bizarre and ridiculous proposal. The health board is trying to sell this as an improvement. It is certainly not that and my feeling is they have lost the trust of the people.”
In a statement on Monday night NHS Ayrshire’s nurse director Professor Hazel Borland claimed: “We need to grow and reform services to meet the growing demand for chemotherapy, and meet the needs of our population.
“Under this tiered system more of our patients will receive treatment closer to home.”
An eight week “engagement and informing period” has now begun.
