MP meets Rosemere to discuss Kendal Cancer Unit

South Lakes MP Tim Farron met Rosemere Cancer Foundation to discuss the long running campaign to bring radiotherapy services to Westmorland General Hospital.

The Rosemere Cancer Foundation - our local cancer charity - raises funds for additional equipment and facilities for cancer patients in Lancashire and South Cumbria. Rosemere also funds vital research, helping to provide the very best care possible for patients.

Tim met with the Chief Officer of the Foundation, Sue Thompson, to discuss the bid to bring a satellite radiotherapy treatment centre to Westmorland General Hospital. Chemotherapy treatment is available at Westmorland General after a campaign by Tim and health campaigners, and the chemo unit will soon be celebrating its third anniversary. Tim and Sue discussed where the radiotherapy plan is currently up to and talked about fundraising for the potential unit.

Tim also paid tribute to Rosemere, whom he said played a played major role in bringing chemotherapy to Kendal and put £100,000 of funding towards cost of building the unit.

Tim will now meet the National Commissioning Team of NHS England to push the project forward. He is also calling for the Better Care Together team, who are currently planning the future of our local health services, to put it into their plans for the next 5 to 10 years.

Tim said: "Meeting Sue was really helpful. Rosemere are a fantastic local cancer charity who are doing amazing work. I will keep working with campaigners and charities like Rosemere to bring radiotherapy to our hospital. But we need health bosses to continue backing our campaign. I hope the Better Care Together team, who are currently reviewing hospital services in our area, put radiotherapy services at Kendal in their final report.

"Asking patients and their families to make the gruelling journey to Preston for radiotherapy treatment must end. I will keep pushing until we get a full cancer treatment unit at Westmorland General. We are moving in the right direction, but we need to keep the pressure on."