A WOMAN whose life was saved by radiotherapy treatment has joined the fight to help bring the cancer service to South Lakeland.

Breast cancer survivor Pat Barnes, of Milnthorpe, was told by doctors she is now free of the cancer they diagnosed this January.

The 73-year-old had three weeks of radiotherapy at Preston, which killed cancerous cells.

Ms Barnes said staff at the centre were outstanding but daily travel and parking issues provided her with ‘terrible, needless stress’.

She wants to see this eliminated for future South Lakeland patients.

Ms Barnes has added her support to The Westmorland Gazette’s campaign to get a radiotherapy unit moved to Kendal’s Westmorland General Hospital.

“I had to drive down each day and the traffic was horrendous,” she said.

“I tried to do it on my own because I didn’t want to put anyone else out but by the final Friday I had to ask a neighbour to drive me because I was too tired to make the trip.

“Sometimes I would be stuck in traffic for half an hour waiting to get through Preston. When the appointment you are going for is only about five minutes long it feels like a very unnecessary stress. Especially when you realise the centre could be in Kendal.

“Parking is very limited and you drive down to Preston worrying that you won’t find anywhere and you’ll miss your appointment.

“It would be fantastic to bring these services to Kendal for other cancer patients.

“This would take all the terrible, needless stress away.”

Signatures are now topping the 1,300 mark with scores more arriving with every post bag, as readers continue to put pressure on the Cumbria and Lancashire NHS Collaborative Commi-ssioning Board to commit to multi-million pound radio-therapy services in Kendal. The Gazette’s campaign is being run alongside one started by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron which now has 3,128 signatures from local residents.

“I'm overwhelmed by the level of local support that we've received,” said Mr Farron. “I want to pay tribute to local residents, The Westmorland Gazette and everyone involved in the campaign.

“We've had people queuing up to sign the petition which shows how much people care about the campaign.

“I will keep pushing until we get a full cancer treatment unit at the much loved Westmorland General.

“We are moving in the right direction but we need to keep the pressure on.”