Farron meets national cancer chief to press case for radiotherapy at Kendal

This morning South Lakes MP Tim Farron, met with the Government's National Clinical Director for Cancer and End of Life Care, Professor Sir Mike Richards, to discuss his campaign to bring a radiotherapy unit to Westmorland General Hospital. Tim was delighted with the outcome of the meeting which he said was "an important step towards winning our campaign for radiotherapy at Kendal."

In the meeting Tim presented the business plan put together by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and the Preston-based Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which proposes to make Westmorland General Hospital a satellite of the Rosemere unit at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Tim's long term campaign to bring full cancer services to Westmorland General Hospital saw success earlier in the year as the Hospital opened a new chemotherapy unit. The campaign to add radiotherapy to our new cancer unit is now winning support from local residents with more than 3,000 local people signing the petition to back the bid.

Speaking after the meeting Tim said: "My meeting with Professor Mike Richards this morning was an important step towards winning our campaign for radiotherapy at Kendal. Professor Richards was clear that patients should not have to travel more than 45 minutes for radiotherapy, and of course everybody in the South Lakes lives more than 45 minutes away from our current nearest centre.

"He was also very supportive of our proposed model for radiotherapy at Kendal, he believes that plans to extend the Rosemere unit at Preston to Kendal is the right model to choose and that this is the correct way forward. Following our conversation this morning, Professor Richards will be taking a personal interest in our bid and will be in communication with the hospitals trust and with the commissioners.

"I'm delighted with the outcome of our meeting, so we must now keep up the pressure to make sure that we win our campaign."