article: On Wednesday, a leaked document revealed a private-public sector consortium was the last remaining bidder for a Â£690m contract. Campaigners handed over their petition at a clinical commissioning group (CCG) meeting on Thursday. Commissioners said their focus was on improving outcomes for patients. Speaking at a protest outside the NHS meeting in Hednesford, Gail Gregory, from the Cancer Not For Profit campaign group said the Staffordshire service should be run by the NHS. "A private company is out to make a profit. That's what you want a private company to do. I'm not a profit opportunity, I'm a patient," she said. Outsourcing contracts to cover both cancer and end of life care in Staffordshire were announced last year. Together, they are expected to be worth Â£1.2bn and cover a 10-year period. The contracts will cover the areas controlled by Stafford and Surrounds, Cannock Chase, Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire CCGs. The cancer contract is expected to be awarded in December and, according to a leaked document seen by the BBC, discussions between the CCGs and the consortium are expected to take place over the next few weeks, before a formal proposal is submitted. The group includes University Hospitals North Midlands, the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust and private firm Interserve. The CCGs said they brought together a wide range of expertise.
summary: More than 63,000 people have signed a petition against what they say is the privatisation of cancer care in Staffordshire.