Cumbrian MP meets with Health Minister after radiotherapy services set to be moved EVEN FURTHER AWAY to South Ribble

This week, South Lakes MP Tim Farron met with the Minister of State for Health, Will Quince, to discuss the long-running campaign to bring radiotherapy to Westmorland General Hospital.

Currently, the nearest radiotherapy centre for people living in South Cumbria is in Preston.

However it’s been revealed that radiotherapy services are set to be moved even further away, with plans to rebuild Royal Preston Hospital in South Ribble.

The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group says that it is bad practice for people to have to travel more than 45 minutes for treatment.

According to analysis conducted by the charity Radiotherapy UK, only 765 people in Westmorland and Lonsdale live within 45 minutes of Royal Preston Hospital.

The Minister agreed to host a local NHS summit with the Department of Health and Social Care, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, and the University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust to discuss bringing radiotherapy to Kendal.

Speaking after the meeting, Tim said: “It is absolutely unacceptable that the Conservative Government are proposing to move vital life-saving radiotherapy treatment even further away from cancer patients here in South Cumbria.

“A satellite radiotherapy unit at the Westmorland General Hospital has never been more urgently needed.

“So I’m grateful to the Minister for agreeing to take this forward by getting health bosses around the table to hopefully finally bring radiotherapy to Kendal.”