A MAJOR report on radiotherapy treatment has confirmed that cancer patients in Herefordshire and Powys have a raw deal.

It gives a major boost to the Hereford Times' Misery Miles campaign for radiotherapy to be available at the County Hospital.

The government-commissioned report says every patient who needs radiotherapy should be within a 45 minutes' drive of a centre.

But local campaigners have hundreds of letters from patients who have had long and distressing road trips to Cheltenham, coping with round trips of 100-200 miles and recorded times of up to 180 minutes - four times longer.

The Hereford Times has highlighted many of these disturbing cases.

Allan Lloyd, from Kington, has sent a sackload of letters and cuttings from the Hereford Times to Prime Minister Tony Blair. He believes up to 10% of patients in this county and Powys may have refused treatment or stopped the course because of the misery miles'.

The new report, by the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group, says only 13% of patients in England, needing radiotherapy, lived beyond the 45 minute limit.

Mr Lloyd said this emphasised the high percentage from this area in the disadvantaged 13%.

NRAG was asked to advise the government on the current position of radiotherapy services, how to ensure they were best used and how to plan a world class service for England.

Top cancer experts concluded there had been a significant underestimate of need in the past, with a 63% gap between treatments given and those needed.

The report warns that the constantly increasing demands for radiotherapy for cancer leave insufficient NHS equipment and staff.

NRAG is recommending a huge increase in radiotherapy treatments, with 90 more linac machines over the next 10 years.

Where these should go could be decided locally, as long as there are people to run them.

Key factors in the decision is the distances patients have to travel.

The report also calls for shorter waiting times for secondary radiotherapy and more skilled staff to provide it.

It adds: "Unless action is taken without delay the government will lose the opportunity to save lives, and services in this country will fall further behind those of other comparable countries''.

Mr Lloyd said the report's most significant points were the realisation of the burden placed on some patients and the emphasis on equal access to radiotherapy centres.

There was an even stronger reason now for maintaining a vigorous campaign for radiotherapy treatment in Hereford. He pledged to campaign on with determination and enthusiasm'.

The Three Counties Cancer Network is due to make its decision on future services and the location for linacs in early autumn. The choice is between basing all linacs in Cheltenham or having a satellite unit with two linacs in either Hereford or Worcester.

Costs will have to be measured against journey time.

Without additional government cash, primary care trusts may have to pay, possibly at the expense of other services.

Herefordshire's small population, with no long term guarantee of patients from Wales, may also make the local provision unviable.

The government has yet to respond to the report.