Radiotherapy petition backed by hundreds across Shropshire gets Government response

Bernadette Mortiboy and other radiotherapy staff at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital were among those pushing for signatures on the petition, which was signed by 10,610 before it closed.

They were calling for the NHS cancer budget dedicated to radiotherapy to be increased from five per cent to 6.5 per cent each year, as well as a one off £250 million investment.

In its response, the Department of Health and Social Care said modernising radiotherapy services was "crucial" to increasing cancer survival rates.

Ms Mortiboy, who is a technical superintendent at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, said: "I am very proud that here in Shropshire we were able to motivate enough people to actually get the subject raised in Parliament.

"The response like all Government responses is rather vague and non-committal . I think the more important point is that we have raised awareness of Radiotherapy and the vital role it plays in the treatment and cure of many types of cancer.

"Shrewsbury has three advanced linear accelerators which means we are able to offer modern, effective radiotherapy locally. We are dedicated to ensuring that the treatment we deliver is very precise.

"We aim to reduce side effects and give our patients the opportunity to carry on with their lives as normally as possible whilst they are on treatment.

"One in four people will undergo Radiotherapy at some time in their lives, which seems a daunting prospect, but we all work together here to try and make our patients visits to us as stress free as possible."

Nationally cancer survival rates are far below the European average. If that could be changed, 10,000 more people would survive each year.

But the Department of Health and Social Care said it was difficult to compare.

A statement said: "Although cancer survival rates are at their highest level, we accept that cancer survival in England has historically lagged behind the best performing countries in Europe and the World. However, it is difficult to compare in a meaningful way due to time lag and issues with data completeness.

"Modernising radiotherapy services is crucial to our ambition to increase cancer survival rates, with 55,000 more people surviving five years post diagnosis by 2028.

"Over the last two years, we have invested £130m in modernising radiotherapy equipment, with over 80 machines funded for replacement or upgrade across the country since October 2016. We are also shortly publishing new radiotherapy service specifications which will establish 11 radiotherapy networks – to ensure that everyone across the country is able to access high quality care."

In Shropshire nearly 400 people have signed the petition, with a further 50 in Montgomeryshire.

The region was second only to Westmorland and Lonsdale, where MP Tim Farron is campaigning for better radiotherapy.