Tim thanks over 8,000 local residents who have signed radiotherapy petition

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has today thanked residents for the fantastic level of local support they have shown to the campaign to bring radiotherapy services to Westmorland General Hospital.

Now 6350 local residents have signed the petition calling on NHS bosses to bring a radiotherapy unit to Westmorland General Hospital. Added to this is a further 2,000 people who have signed the Westmorland Gazette's petition.

Tim is planning to hand over the petition to the health bosses who will make the decision on whether the radiotherapy unit comes to the South Lakes at the end of a mass demonstration through the streets of Kendal on Saturday March 3rd.

The campaign was launched after the huge success in bringing the chemotherapy unit to the hospital. If radiotherapy services were provided in Kendal, it would save patients having to make a 100 mile round trip to Preston.

The petition can be found at: http://timfarron.co.uk/en/petition/help-bring-a-radiotherapy-service-to-Kendal

In December the Dataset Annual Report revealed that access to radiotherapy treatment in the South Lakes is among the worst in the country, falling close to 20% below the national average for breast cancer. Statistics from the Radiotherapy Dataset Annual Report reveal that the number of patients receiving treatment for breast cancer is around 20% lower than the national average in Lancashire andSouth Cumbria, and 10% below the national average for all cancers. While Devon andCornwall have access to four radiotherapy units, Lancashire and South Cumbria are served by a single unit inPreston.

Tim said: "The fact that we now have over 8000 local people joining the campaign calling for radiotherapy services to be brought to Westmorland General, is a fantastic testimony to the strength of our case. For patients being treated for cancer, the fact that they have to travel outside of South Lakeland to get treatment is an added burden. Our campaign to win a Radiotherapy Unit for Westmorland General Hospital will allow patients to not have to travel debilitating distances and instead to be close to friends and family at a time when they most need their support. Having lost my mother to cancer this campaign is incredibly personal to me, but it's also very personal to thousands of other people in our area."