Address Prostate Cancer Now Demands Randerson

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 24th Oct 2006

Velindre NHS Trust has had to refuse free brachytherapy equipment from a charitable source because it cannot secure continuing funding.

Jenny said "It's nonsense that Velindre cannot accept an offer of equipment for brachytherapy because they can't afford to run it. Labour needs to look carefully at the way they are funding hospitals.

"It is bad enough that in the 21st century our NHS has to rely on charities to help to provide core services such as cancer treatment.

"It is doubly worrying that the Labour Assembly Government are not even able to find funding to run new equipment when they are offered it as a gift."

Jenny Randerson AM for Cardiff Central asked Rhodri Morgan in Plenary to address the location of the budget for brachytherapy which is currently in the wrong part of the NHS budget. At the moment responsibility lies with Local Health Boards who pay for ordinary radiotherapy and not with Health Commission Wales who commission Brachytherapy.

Welsh Lib Dem Health spokesperson Jenny Randerson AM said: "There are now over 30,000 cases per year of Prostate Cancer and rising. Prostate cancer could soon overtake breast cancer in terms of incidents. It may not have the celebrity support but its treatment is just as vital."