PLANS to move vital bowel cancer services away from an Edinburgh hospital have been ruled out.
In a letter to the city council, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon dismissed any shift of the service from the Western General to either St John's Hospital or the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
It comes as a blow to campaigners who want to secure more
of the Lothians' services for St John's in Livingston, and see the colorectal surgery base as an ideal candidate for that.
It also means that the hundreds of people every year who use the service at the Craigleith hospital will not have to travel further.
Doubts have surrounded the service since plans surfaced in 2005 to move the department to the ERI amid fears the Western could not cope with housing the service.
"Stop the Downgrade" protesters at St John's then called for it instead to be moved to Livingston as a rare acquisition for that hospital.
The SNP-led West Lothian Council also called for the transfer, but was opposed by the city council, which passed a motion asking for the services to be retained in west Edinburgh.
Ms Sturgeon said: "NHS Lothian indicated that there is clinical evidence, in the form of better clinical outcomes for patients, for retaining the integrated colorectal surgery service at the Western General Hospital, rather than moving it as planned to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
"I understand that the board's decision was based on clinical advice that it would be beneficial to retain cancer related services together at the Western General, and also on the conclusion that medical staff rotas could be made compliant with the European Working Time Directive."
That directive was initially one of the factors that cast doubt on the service's future there.
Ms Sturgeon continued: "Since it appears that retaining the integrated colorectal surgery service at the Western General has no negative impact on patients, and is justified by the clinical evidence, I support the board's decision."
St John's did formerly provide colorectal surgery, but that was carried out by one surgeon and ceased in 2004.
The news was welcomed by former city Labour leader, Councillor Ewan Aitken, who was in charge when the council tabled the motion in favour of the Western.
He said: "I congratulate the health minister for putting clinical analysis before party political agendas. Retaining this service at the Western will mean better patient care, more lives saved and better use of NHS resources."
500 people a year are diagnosed with bowel cancer, with half of those surviving more than five years with the disease.
West Lothian councillor Gordon Beurskens, part of the Stop the Downgrade campaign, said: "To say we are disappointed at the decision is an understatement.
"The clinical delivery of this service is primary and we believe St John's should have been considered for that."
The full article contains 483 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
