The Daily Express crusade to boost funding for radiotherapy has been highlighted in Parliament. Our campaign, which was launched this week, was mentioned in a Commons debate on expanding the NHS workforce.
It shows MPs are serious about putting pressure on the Government to ramp up investment in the vital cancer treatment.
Labour MP Grahame Morris highlighted our crusade, which is backed by England and Manchester United football legend and throat cancer survivor Bryan Robson.
Mr Morris said: “I refer the honourable members to an excellent article by Martyn Brown in the Daily Express that highlights some of the shortcomings in the radiotherapy service.
“In that article, Bryan Robson, the former England captain, expounds and explains the value of precision radiotherapy.
“It is quite bizarre that a treatment capable of achieving cures for as little as £3,000 to £7,000 is delivered by fewer than 6,500 specialist staff across the whole of the country.”
Mr Morris, vice chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Radiotherapy, added that demand is rising. He pointed to Cancer Research UK estimates that the number of patients per year will jump from 384,000 to more than 500,000 by 2040.
Football legend Robson, 66, who had lifesaving radiotherapy in Thailand, has thrown his weight behind our campaign. He said: “This vital treatment needs more investment and priority. But without government action, little will change.
“That’s why I’m urging Daily Express readers to get behind this vital campaign.”
“It is quite bizarre that a treatment capable of achieving cures for as little as £3,000 to £7,000 is delivered by fewer than 6,500 specialist staff across the whole of the country.”
Mr Morris, the vice chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Radiotherapy, added that demand is rising. He pointed to Cancer Research UK estimates that the number of patients per year will jump from 384,000 to more than 500,000 by 2040.
Football legend Robson, 66, who had lifesaving radiotherapy in Thailand, has thrown his weight behind our campaign. He said: “This vital treatment needs more investment and priority. But without government action, little will change.
“That’s why I’m urging Daily Express readers to get behind this vital campaign.”
Our crusade, which is backed by Radiotherapy UK and the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, has three demands.
First, a rolling programme of new radiotherapy machines to replace older ones. Secondly, new satellite radiotherapy centres in areas without treatment facilities and finally, a boost to the radiotherapy workforce to break the cancer backlog.
To do this the service will need an estimated £1billion over five years.
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