New money for cancer treatment must be spent on radiotherapy to tackle poor survival rates - MP

Local MP and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Radiotherapy Tim Farron says that new money allocated by the Government for cancer treatment should be spent on improving radiotherapy services to help tackle the UK's poor survival rates.

During her speech to Conservative Party Conference today, the Prime Minister announced an extra £394 million a week for the NHS, with some of this money set to be used to fund a new cancer strategy.

Tim said: "Cancer affects us all and so today's announcement for more money for cancer treatment is to be massively welcomed.

"Our survival rates continue to lag well behind the European average so this money is needed now more than ever.

"Around half of people diagnosed with cancer will need radiotherapy treatment and with only 5% of the NHS cancer budget spent on the treatment, it's vital that some of this new money be spent on radiotherapy services to give cancer patients the best possible chance of survival."