I am campaigning to ensure that PCT’s fund Cyberknife stereotactic radiotherapy for cancer patients that require it. This treatment is available within the NHS, and it’s a scandal that PCT’s refuse to fund treatment that costs only £7,500 on average (which is what Mount Vernon charge PCT’s for a course of Cyberknife).
South East Coast Specialised Commissioning Group ( who consider applications for patients in Sussex, Surrey and Kent say that there is no evidence that Cyberknife is better that conventional rads, and as it costs more they wont fund it. But they know full well that the reason patients are referred for Cyberknife in the first place is that conventional rads are not an option.
Please see letter at link below (you will need to scroll down letters page).
With Libby on the letter for MPs. This isn’t just me being lazy but wanting to build on the extensive research I know you’ve done. I encourage everyone to join in with this and lobby your MP.
“There but for the grace of God go I” is a good phrase to remember, even for the agnostics and atheists among us. Thank you Lemongrove for your hard work on this, I’d love a draft letter for my MP.
Hi everybody.
RE: the draft letter.
Mount Vernon and The Marsden have employed a PR company to raise public awareness of Cyberknife and lobby on the funding issue. The person in charge of the campaign is going to provide a letter, and list of MP’s that they would like to be approached, and I will circulate it to all those who have signed the petition. He has also arranged a meeting for those of us that are involved in this, so that we can coordinate our efforts, so hopefully we can get things moving.
I know that Mount Vernon have another meeting with the SECSCG in April, because they have had such terrific results since accepting patients for CK, and they are hopeful this will sway things.