RADIOTHERAPY SERVICES AT WESTMORLAND GENERAL HOSPITAL

That this House notes that prior to July 2011, cancer patients from the South Lakes requiring chemotherapy treatment had to make gruelling journeys outside the area for treatment; welcomes the new Grizedale Chemotherapy Unit at Westmorland General Hospital which is now providing much needed treatment for hundreds of cancer patients across the South Lakes; believes that while this is a big step forward in the campaign to bring full cancer treatment services to the South Lakes it is still essential that radiotherapy services are also brought to Westmorland General Hospital; further notes that the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group recommends that radiotherapy patients should not have to travel more than 45 minutes to receive treatment and that currently patients in the South Lakes have to travel a minimum of 60 minutes to Royal Preston Hospital for treatment; further welcomes the fact that the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust have submitted a business plan to NHS commissioners for a satellite radiotherapy unit at Westmorland General Hospital; and calls on the commissioners to approve this bid as soon as possible.