Swindon MPs, Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland, have written to Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, and Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, in order to secure support for a dedicated radiotherapy centre at the Great Western Hospital.
Justin will be attending the ‘Brighter Futures Radiotherapy Appeal Launch this Thursday, at the Great Western Hospital. This follows the support already been given by both MPs to the social media campaign to help raise awareness of the fundraising appeal.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "I am fully behind the move to bring a dedicated radiotherapy centre to Swindon. Robert and I have written to both the Health Secretary and the Chief Executive of NHS England to ask them to pledge their support to the excellent work already done by the Swindon CCG."
Letter from Justin & Robert to the Health Secretary & Chief Executive of NHS England
Dear Sirs,
Cancer patients in Swindon have always suffered because of the lack of a dedicated radiotherapy unit in what is the fastest expanding town in the country.
Currently, our constituents who require life-saving treatment are required to travel to hospitals in Oxford or Bristol - something that is both costly to the NHS and has a profoundly negative impact on the health of residents diagnosed with cancer.
Many of our fellow local residents who need to access radiotherapy have contacted us to share their experiences of the system. The overwhelming majority feel that while they receive excellent care thanks to the Government’s record investment in the NHS and cancer services, they feel that the travel required is detrimental to their treatment.
There is now a joint proposal in place from the Swindon CCG and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust to develop a dedicated centre at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon. The centre could open in April 2017, ensuring that local patients who rely on radiotherapy treatment can be treated locally and the need to travel long distances can be removed, thus improving care outcomes.
Swindon CCG is creating significant investment over the next few years to try to bring this much-needed service to Swindon quicker than would be otherwise possible, however we would be grateful if your Department would support the proposal and you could work with Officials to ensure that this proposal is brought to fruition.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you.
Yours ever,
Justin Tomlinson MP Robert Buckland QC MP
