The need for cancer treatment services in West Sussex to cut down journey times for patients has been raised in Parliament by one MP.
Patients receiving radiotherapy have to travel to either Brighton, Portsmouth, Guildford, or Redhill, as West Sussex is the only county in England not to have any treatment machines, called linacs, within its boundary.
A new radiotherapy unit at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester has been raised, with a business case currently being considered.
The need for linacs in West Sussex to serve patients in the county was raised by Chichester MP Gillian Keegan during a Westminster Hall debate on patient travel times for cancer treatment earlier this month.
Afterwards she described how travelling to Brighton or Portsmouth for ‘vital’ radiotherapy treatment can be ‘gruelling for people already feeling really ill’
She added: “I took part to highlight the opportunity for new radiotherapy services to be developed at St Richard’s which would help many residents in West Sussex.
“A business case has been put together and the Cancer Alliance is currently considering the merits of our case.”
John Gooderham, who lives in Billingshurst, has been calling for a satellite radiotherapy unit in West Sussex.
Read more at: https://www.chichester.co.uk/news/health/travel-for-cancer-treatment-gr…
