Farron Challenges Health Secretary On Radiotherapy For Kendal

Tim Farron MP is determined to continue the campaign to bring radiotherapy services to Westmorland General Hospital, he announced today, as he called on the government to publish an overdue review so a decision can be made.

Tim's campaign for radiotherapy services has attracted widespread support from South Lakes residents, yet NHS England will not make any decisions about commissioning new services until a national radiotherapy capacity review has been completed and published. This review is already three months overdue, and it is currently unclear when it will be published. Tim has tabled a parliamentary question and has written to the Health Secretary, pushing for the review to be published so that a decision can be made as soon as possible.

Tim has said he is determined to step up the campaign to bring radiotherapy services to Westmorland General Hospital, so that South Lakes residents no longer have to travel "intolerable distances" in order to access treatment.

The national radiotherapy advisory group recommends that patients should not have to travel for longer than 45 minutes in order to access services, yet almost no South Lakes residents live within 45 minutes of the nearest unit in Preston.

Tim said: "Local people have overwhelmingly backed this campaign, and want to see a decision reached. The government cannot allow this review to drag on.

"At the moment, South Lakes residents regularly have to travel for hours to access essential radiotherapy services. People living in rural areas like South Cumbria deserve the same access to radiotherapy services as those in other areas, and I will continue to fight for radiotherapy services here in Kendal."