Patchy Brachytherapy Provision not good enough for North Wales patients

Cymraeg
English

Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

Patchy Brachytherapy Provision not good enough for North Wales patients - Burnham

February 21, 2007 4:36 PM

Eleanor Burnham AM has slammed the Labour Welsh Assembly Government for its shoddy treatment of prostate cancer patients across North Wales.

Following the revelation earlier this year that Wales had no brachytherapy provision for suitable patients whatsoever, a service is now due to be offered at Velindre Hospital, Cardiff from April. However, this means North Wales patients requiring brachytherapy will have to travel approximately 200 miles for single day treatment, when the same treatment available in Manchester would half the distance for patients.

Eleanor Burnham said: "I am disgusted that the Labour Assembly Government expects those patients needing treatment in North Wales to travel all the way to Cardiff when they could access services closer to home in Liverpool or Manchester.

"As usual we are seeing a complete lack of consideration of people's real needs. Why should the government expect patients to get from North to South for treatment when brachytherapy is available just across the border?

"The Minister has at least agreed in his statement announcing the Velindre service that North Wales patients will be reimbursed for the cost of travelling to Cardiff. Despite the fact that it really seems obvious that less distance to travel would mean less of these extra costs, I hope that this commitment from the government can be put into practice as soon as the service is up and running.

"Brachytherapy would make a massive difference to a number of cancer patients across Wales, and yet the ways and means of getting the treatment are going to be much harder for North Wales patients thanks to the Welsh Assembly Government's muddled approach to provision."

Ends/diwedd