LAST month I was very pleased to arrange a meeting for local healthcare campaigners Community Voice to present our Save Cancer Services at Mount Vernon Hospital petition to Health Minister Ben Bradshaw along with other local MPs Nick Hurd MP and John McDonnell MP.

Ever since the Accident and Emergency Centre at Mount Vernon was closed in 1996, the future of the cancer centre at Mount Vernon has been under constant threat of moving to a hospital in Hertfordshire.

While Hertfordshire residents must have access to good cancer services, I have always believed that this must not be at the expense of Harrow residents and others in North West London.

In the absence of any other clear plans from local health agencies for further developing cancer services in our area I have strongly supported Community Voice in its campaign.

Indeed in the past it was clear that if the cancer centre moved there might be a further threat to the very existence of the hospital.

With more than 77,000 names this petition has secured widespread support amongst Harrow residents, and residents from other surrounding areas, so I was delighted to organise this meeting for local residents and campaigners to have their say on this important issue.

Many people from Harrow are treated in Mount Vernon and people in Harrow both depend upon and have a huge affinity with this local hospital and the services that it provides to the community.

The petition was launched on March 16 last year. Community Voice set a target of 70,000 names, to match that of the similar petition presented to the then Health Minister John Hutton MP in 2004.

The organisers easily exceeded their target and I would personally like to thank Joan Davis, James Kincaid, Paul Samet and all their team for their very hard work in making the Save Cancer Services at Mount Vernon Hospital petition a great success.

As Joan Davies herself said: "When ordinary people pull together, they can have an impact on what actually happens!"

The petition sends a strong message to local health agencies in Hertfordshire and London in advance of the forthcoming Hertfordshire Cancer Services Review, about the importance of cancer services at Mount Vernon to local people.

Mr Bradshaw was able to confirm that the hospital is not now under threat and pointed to the £20million being invested in a new treatment centre.