Nicola feels the weight of 20,000 signatures

HEALTH Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told campaigners she is "very committed to the Sick Kids" as she received a 20,000-signature petition demanding children's cancer services are kept in the Capital.

Former brain tumour patient Ross Newlands, 16, and his father Alex, 43, met Sturgeon at her office in St Andrew's House yesterday.

She told them: "Without preempting the (final] decision, I hope you will feel the right decision has been made when we get there."

The Evening News Hands Off the Sick Kids campaign has been so popular that three briefcases were needed to carry the entire signed petition.

Ross, who successfully overcame his illness two years ago after eight months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, told Ms Sturgeon how important it was having top-level neurology and children's cancer services in Edinburgh.

Ross said: "I'm doing this for my friends who are in hospital right now. I've spoken to friends in the Borders who would have to travel two hours for care in Glasgow."

His dad Alex, from Ferniehill, added: "Edinburgh is the capital city. It needs these services."

A national steering group of healthcare experts have been reviewing paediatric services in Scotland, paying particular attention to whether top level neurology and children's cancer services would be improved by centralising them on one or two sites, rather than localised at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen hospitals.

They have now reported to Ms Sturgeon, with one recommendation that specialist neurology services stay in all three cities.

It is hoped a similar recommendation will boost chances of top-level cancer services also remaining in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Government will respond to the recommendations soon and there will then be a three-month consultation before a final, formal decision is made.

Ms Sturgeon told Ross and Alex: "I can't tell you the decision right now as we've not made a final decision. What I can tell you is that I really understand the arguments you are putting to me.

"As a Government we are very committed to having services as close to home as possible. Whether it is cancer or other services, people don't want to travel if they don't have to.

"I am very committed to the Sick Kids and any decision we take will be with keeping services as close as possible in mind.

"I have been keeping an eye on the Evening News campaign and will be giving it careful consideration."

The review of specialist paediatric care in Scotland was started by the Labour administration before the SNP came into power.

However, Ms Sturgeon defended the need to examine what is the best way of delivering life-saving care to young people.

She said: "When you have got a small number (of patients] across the country, rather than having one doctor here and one there, it sometimes makes more sense to have them on one site."

Ms Sturgeon reserved special praise for Ross. "If more people cared as much as you do we would be in much better shape all round," she said.