A DECISION about the future of cancer care in Colchester is just weeks away.

Urology cancer surgery services are under threat at Colchester’s and Southend’s hospitals because NHS England says each centre should serve one million people.

Both currently provide the service and both have bid to become the only provider in Essex.

The application process has now closed and the NHS England is appointing a panel of experts to make its recommendation in May.

Urological cancers include kidney, bladder and reproductive organ cancers.

John Corr, the lead cancer surgeon for the northern division of the Essex Urology Cancer Network, who is based at Colchester General Hospital, said the hospital is well placed to become the centre of excellence.

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He said the Colchester hospital carried out more urological cancer operations than any other hospital in the county and has scope to do more.

Mr Corr has said the guidance is each centre should do at least 50 operations a year and Colchester was already doing three times that number, the most of any hospital in Essex.

Essex County Council is expected to make its recommendation as to where the urology surgery is carried out.

Diagnosis and post-operative treatment will still be carried out in both Colchester and Southend.

A spokesman for NHS England said: “Over the next month any queries with the submissions will be clarified before they are submitted to an expert evaluation panel made up of clinicians, patient representatives and commissioners from outside the county.

“The role of the panel will be to assess the submissions and score them on a range of criteria.”

These will include clinical service, quality, travel, access and patient experience.

Dave Harris, Colchester’s observer on the County Hall panel, said: “I am hopeful it will be Colchester.

“We have one of the best centres in the world. I hope NHS England makes an evidence-based decision.”

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The Gazette and its sister paper, the Essex County Standard, launched a campaign calling for the urology surgery to be based in Colchester.

It presented a petition with more than 8,000 signatures to Downing Street asking the Government to recognise the support for the north Essex hospital.