Action Radiotherapy has launched a 10,000-signature petition calling on the government to invest in the UK radiotherapy service to make it world class and accessible to all cancer patients.
The campaign group is asking for an increase in the NHS cancer budget dedicated to radiotherapy from 5% to 6.5%, and a one-off £250 million investment to modernise existing machines and build satellite radiotherapy centres.
“We want patients to have the best radiotherapy treatment for cancer as close to home as possible. Please support us by signing this petition, and encouraging your colleagues and patients to sign and share,” Action Radiotherapy says.
The initiative follows the recent launch of a cross-party manifesto, detailing a vision for radiotherapy across the UK over the next decade.
The manifesto emphasises the effectiveness of radiotherapy, highlights the inequality between funding compared to spending on cancer drugs, and the urgent need for investment in equipment and healthcare professionals to significantly improve the UK’s poor cancer survival rates.
The manifesto also highlighted that a £250 million one-off investment would ensure that the transformational change in the model of radiotherapy services in the UK is needed over the next 10 years. An estimated additional £100 million a year is needed to catch up.