More than 60,000 patients 'not getting necessary radiotherapy'

More than 60,000 cancer patients a year are not getting the radiotherapy they need at all, while some patients are waiting up to six months to begin the treatment, according to research.

- Anna Bawden Health and social affairs correspondent

Nearly 100 heads of radiotherapy and oncology - three-quarters of England’s radiotherapy leaders - have warned in an open letter that the government is failing patients.

International experts agree that more than half (53%) of all cancer patients will need radiotherapy, but in England only 35% actually receive the treatment. According to exclusive analysis of the latest NHS data by Radiotherapy UK, 181,023 patients should get radiotherapy but only 120,569 did, leaving 60,455 cancer patients a year in England who are not getting any radiotherapy cancer treatment at all.