Southern Rail train chaos force cancer sufferers to QUIT treatment because of delays and cancellations
Patients say the disrupted service means they cannot do appointments in London hospitals anymore and that industrial action has ‘added to their stress’
CANCER sufferers have slammed the service on Southern Rail after delays and cancellations forced them to give up treatment.
Patients have explained that the ongoing industrial action has meant they can no longer reach appointments in London hospitals on time.
reports that one patient, who travels from West Sussex to the capital, said: “I've given up doing cancer therapy due to Southern.
“[It has been] impossible to get to and from London from Burgess Hill without wanting to commit acts of civil disobedience.”
Dawn Laker, who helps her mother get to appointments at the Royal Marsden hospital from Uckfield in East Sussex, said: “Having lung cancer is bad enough without having strikes to worry about and the stress of getting to hospital appointments.
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“If the drivers’ strike goes ahead I'm not sure what we will do.”
The driver’s strike will take place for three days next week and leave 3,000 passengers in the lurch.
It will be the first in a programme of six weeks’ worth of industrial action over the Christmas and New Year period.
Paul Maynard, the government’s rail minister, said: “This unnecessary action will cause misery and disruption to thousands of passengers.”
Mick Whelan, general secretary of the driver’s union Aslef, said: “Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, said this strike was political. A line which has been parroted by [Southern]. But it’s not. It’s industrial.”
In a statement, Southern said: “Our passengers have had to endure many months of disruption and misery due to RMT industrial action and for that we are truly sorry.
“We do understand the impact this unnecessary dispute is having on individuals, communities and the regional economy, but if the union is listening to passengers as it says, then it will call off these pointless strikes now and give our passengers and their families their lives back. No one wants an end to this dispute more than us.”
The Sun Online has contacted the RMT for comment.
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