There is a shortage of staff too

The Royal College of Radiologists said a lack of staff and essential equipment is to blame.

"There is no doubt that patients are dying unnecessarily," said Dr Dan Ash, president of the college.

However, ministers say the figures are out-of-date and progress is being made.

Equipment shortages

The royal college examined equipment, workload and staffing for radiotherapy in the NHS between 1997 and 2002.

It found that despite a 16% increase in demand for treatment, there had only been a 10% increase in the number of vital machines used for radiotherapy.

There is no doubt that patients are dying unnecessarily Dr Dan Ash, Royal College of Radiologists

As a result, patients are waiting longer for treatment sometimes in pain, according to the report.

It said services are still falling short of the targets set by the National Cancer Plan five years ago and that the situation is getting worse.

For instance, the NHS is supposed to have 4.2 linear accelerators - the device which delivers a dose of high-energy X-ray to target tumours - per million of the population by next year.

However, the college says that target is now out of date. It points to France which has 6.1 machines per million and the Netherlands with 7.1.

In addition, the equipment the NHS does have is aging rapidly.

In 1997, 25% of linear accelerators were at least 10 years old. By 2002, this figure had risen to 38%.

The report also highlights continuing vacancies in many radiotherapy departments, which mean many struggle to work at full capacity.

"After five years of investment, radiotherapy is still in crisis," said Dr Ash.

"Radiotherapy has a major role to play in reducing deaths from cancer but has no chance of doing so if the public is denied access to high quality timely treatment because of lack of equipment and staff."

'Old figures'

Public Health Minister Melanie Johnson acknowledged that there were problems. However, she said the royal college's figures were out-of-date.

"We know that there is concern about the delay in patients receiving radiotherapy treatment.

"One reason for this is that there are more patients than ever being identified for radiotherapy treatment," she said.

"The number of specialist radiotherapy equipment in the NHS are not represented accurately in the report as it uses information which is 16 months old.

"A large amount of equipment that was commissioned in mid-2002 was not included in the survey."

Professor Mike Richards, the government's cancer tsar, said the problems in the NHS were a result of poor investment over many years.

"Past under-funding of the NHS meant there has been inadequate provision of essential radiotherapy equipment.

"It will take time to put right this under-investment but excellent progress is being made."

However, shadow health secretary Liam Fox said: "This is a further sign of the sorry state of cancer treatment under Labour.

"Perhaps ministers will now realise that their artificial targets and eye-catching initiatives are not what cancer patients need. British patients need and deserve better."

Joanne Rule, chief executive of CancerBACUP, said: "There's no doubt that the Cancer Plan has made a difference to patients - but there are still areas of real concern.

"Every week CancerBACUP's helpline nurses take calls from patients, relatives and friends who are desperately anxious and distressed because of radiotherapy waiting times.