CANCER patients face further delays in receiving vital care, as a long-running dispute over a £2.5m life-saving scanner took a new twist.

In 2014, the Echo revealed a new PET-CT scanner – that uses dye to locate cancer – arrived at Southend Hospital. However its been mothballed ever since becoming the focal point of a long-standing political row about which hospital should run it – Basildon or Southend.

This week that saga took a new turn.

While Essex County Council officers recommended it be set up at Southend Hospital – ahead of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting next Wednesday – Thurrock Council has appealed to the Secretary of State to review Essex County Council’s recommendation for the scanner to be switched on in Southend.

Among its objection letter – drawing on eight separate points – a main argument was that Southend was too far away for the borough’s poorly patients.

It also questioned the validity of a public consultation conducted by NHS England, which it claimed strangely overlooked the views of Thurrock and Basildon patients.

The letter elaborated: “The public consultation only included 209 respondents. Only two of these were from the Thurrock area, two from Basildon and 11 from Brentwood.”

Eric Watts, a former consultant haematologist and clinical director at Basildon Hospital, who himself beat cancer, supported the council’s objection.

He said: “I completely understand and support the views of the people from Thurrock, if the scanner was in Southend it would be too far away.

“People will be undergoing continuous treatment, and treatment that will make them poorly.

“The natural home for this scanner is Basildon.”

Jon Findlay, chief operating officer at Southend Hospital said while the delays are disappointing they are understandable,

He added: “Once again, we reiterate our support for the scanner to be located at the cancer centre at Southend as we already provide radiotherapy for the whole south Essex population at Southend.”

A spokesman for NHS England confirmed further delays were likely. She added: “We will know more about our position and where the scanner will go next week.”