Farron celebrates cancer unit success!

South Lakes MP Tim Farron is today celebrating success after hearing that Kendal's Westmorland General Hospital has now officially been chosen as the preferred location for a new radiotherapy treatment centre.

The decision has paved the way for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust to build a detailed business case for the unit which could be open as early as 2012.

Over the last few months Tim has been at the forefront of the campaign to bring cancer treatment services to the South Lakes. Tim handed over an 8,000-strong petition calling for a cancer treatment unit in Kendal in October after a 44-mile walk to highlight the distance cancer patients currently have to travel.

In South Lakeland, there are 30% fewer cancer patients referred for radiotherapy treatment than the national average. As a result, cancer survival rates in our area are lower than the national average. It is thought that one reason for the lower than average referral for treatment is the fact that our nearest cancer treatment unit is so far away in Preston or Carlisle.

Tim says, "This is great news and I just want to thank the community for their determination and their commitment. Hearing that Kendal has been named as the preferred site for the new service follows months of hard work by lots of people and lobbying government behind the scenes.

"I know there is still so far to go but this is a great milestone and a fantastic early Christmas present for hundreds of local people. I am meeting with the health minister in January to set the next stage in train and make sure that the treatment centre comes to Kendal."