Rural people have got to suffer to get treatment and that's totally and utterly wrong

Andy Vellacott

Many patients have to travel hundreds of miles each week for radiotherapy because there is no specialist unit in the town.

Northern Devon Healthcare Trust has ruled out building an RT centre similar to one for chemotherapy which was made possible through local fund-raising.

Mr Vellacott said people living outside Devon's major towns and cities are losing out.

"The heavily-populated areas like Exeter, Torquay and Plymouth all have their radio therapy units," he said.

"I just feel that again these rural people have got to suffer to get treatment and I just think that's totally and utterly wrong."

According to Northern Devon Healthcare Trust, a hospital must serve a population of 500,000 to warrant a radio therapy unit.

It would be inappropriate for North Devon to build an RT unit

Northern Devon Healthcare Trust

It says it can not justify building a unit for the 150,000 people in North Devon.

In a statement, the hospital defended its position: "It is not an issue of insufficient funds to provide a unit," it read.

"But to provide a high standard of cancer care, a certain throughput of patients is necessary so that all clinicians involved in treatments can maintain their expertise.

"It would therefore be inappropriate for North Devon to build a RT unit."

The statement went on to say the trust recognised a need for better palliative care for cancer patients:

"A good service is provided by the cancer care team, including the Macmillan nurses.

"However Northern Devon Healthcare Trust is currently seeking to recruit a palliative care consultant who can implement the plans recently agreed by the trust and the North Devon Primary Care Trust.

"This involves providing specialist palliative care beds (for patients with cancer and other terminal conditions) on a local hospice site."