Updated statement on PET-CT services at the Trust

Following a procurement process run by NHS England for the contract to run the Thames Valley regional PET-CT scanning service, which has been provided by Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford since 2005, OUH wrote to the Chairman of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) to ask the committee to consider the issue at a meeting in public.

At their meeting on 4 April 2019, Oxfordshire HOSC members heard evidence from members of the public, clinicians and patients, OUH Chief Executive, Dr Bruno Holthof, and OUH Cancer Lead, Mr Nick Maynard - and exercised their power to refer the issue to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

We understand that the Secretary of State is not intending to consider the matter at this time.

Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, Chair of OUH, said: "We are naturally surprised and disappointed that the matter is not being considered further at national level but we remain grateful to the Oxfordshire HOSC for agreeing to our request to examine this issue at a meeting in public and for the support which we have received from our governors, local MPs and others.

"I would also like to thank the many patients who have contacted us to say how much they value the current PET-CT service at the Churchill.

"We will await further developments but in the meantime I would like to reassure patients that we and our clinicians remain focused on the provision of this excellent service."