Lawrence Dallaglio will hold talks with David Cameron on Wednesday to demand millions of pounds more for advanced radiotherapy, writes Tim Shipman.
The former England rugby captain, who lost his mother to cancer, will call on the prime minister to pump £5m a year into clinical trials to treat 700 patients a year.
The Sunday Times revealed last month that Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, was to earmark £6m for cancer patients to take part in trials of a type of radiotherapy that targets tumours precisely.
But that money will be spent over five years, and is £5m a year short of the amount that Dallaglio wants to fund a plan he drew up at Hunt’s request in alliance with radiologists, cancer charities and NHS England.
They agreed trials around the country to treat those with cancers of the prostate, head and neck, liver, kidneys and spine and secondary cancers that have spread using the treatment , known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). But NHS England has since said the money is not available.
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Last night Dallaglio said NHS England had been guilty of “duplicity” for signing up to the plan and then withdrawing support.
Sean Duffy, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said: “There’s always more to be done, but committing a further £6m of NHS funds to experimental SABR research is a major investment by any reasonable standard.”