REPRESENTATIVES of cancer patients and their carers are backing a campaign to bring radiotherapy services to Worcestershire.

Wyre Forest Patient and Carer Group is among organisations supporting Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust's efforts to secure availability of the services in the county.

If the initiative succeeds it would cut journey times for patients currently having treatment outside the county.

Hospitals trust chiefs hope to secure millions of pounds in funding to build a satellite radiotherapy unit.

The Wyre Forest patient group is part of the Greater Midlands Cancer Network, which has joined up with other cancer patient groups to lobby MPs and other key opinion formers to win support for the unit.

Geoff Palmer, spokesman for the united patients' groups, said: "We are supporting this bid on behalf of all those patients who currently have to travel from their homes in Worcestershire to Cheltenham, Coventry or Wolverhampton for radiotherapy - sometimes several times a week for many weeks.

"These journeys are made at a time when patients may be unwell and extremely tired and make the whole experience far more stressful."

He added: "We have been lobbying for some time to have out-patient treatments delivered as close to home as is practicable.

"This is a great opportunity for Worcestershire and every resident should support this bid for local radiotherapy.

"It is anticipated that the money for this development will be available from central funds.

"There are some dedicated staff providing excellent cancer care in this county and we feel, very strongly, that adding radiotherapy to the range of treatments they are able to provide will be a huge benefit to patients and their carers, by reducing travel for around 80 per cent of people who require this treatment."

Mr Palmer went on: "We know that the trust is facing some serious financial challenges at the moment but opportunities like this do not come along very often.

"We are impressed by their commitment to improve services for cancer patients and their determination not to lose out to other trusts, which may decided to bid for this funding as well."