WESTMORLAND and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has met with the Health Minister after it was announced radiotherapy services are set to be moved even further away.

Currently the nearest radiotherapy centre for people living in South Cumbria is in Preston.

However these services are set to be moved to South Ribble because of plans announced to rebuild the Royal Preston Hospital.

Mr Farron met Minister of State for Health Will Quince to discuss the long-running campaign to bring a radiotherapy unit to Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.

Mr Quince agreed to host a local NHS summit with the Department of Health and Social Care, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust to discuss bringing a radiotherapy unit to Kendal.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Farron said: “It is absolutely unacceptable that the Conservative Government are proposing to move vital life-saving radiotherapy treatment even further away from cancer patients here in South Cumbria.

“A satellite radiotherapy unit at the Westmorland General Hospital has never been more urgently needed.

“I’m grateful to the Minister for agreeing to take this forward by getting health bosses around the table to hopefully finally bring radiotherapy to Kendal.”

The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group says that it is bad practice for people to have to travel more than 45 minutes for treatment.

According to analysis conducted by Radiotherapy UK, there are only 765 people in Westmorland and Lonsdale who live within 45 minutes of the Royal Preston Hospital.