Hartlepool Mail editor Harry Blackwood has vowed to continue to fight controversial changes planned for cancer services after a specialist panel backed the proposals.

The panel of experts approved a scheme to move major cancer operations away from Hartlepool.

Harry said: “We are hugely disappointed by the outcome of the inquiry and we know that there will be many other people, including a great number of hospital professionals, who will share our disappointment.”

Health bosses set up a public inquiry as a direct result of the huge response to the newspaper’s Save Our Services campaign.

“More than 13,000 of our readers supported our campaign and we are sure they would want us to carry on our campaign on their behalf,” Harry said.

“The issues that concerned us have not been addressed. There is no hard evidence that survival rates of cancer patients will improve and nobody has explained where the money will come from to transport large numbers of patients and relatives between the two hospitals.”

The editor and the team at the Hartlepool Mail are resolved to continue the struggle.

Harry said: “The response to our campaign from the public has been overwhelming and we must view this as a big setback but not the final word. We will be seeking advice and will decide how we continue our fight.”

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