Jersey cancer patient leads calls for a hospital radiotherapy unit
Video report by ITV Channel's Richard Pallot
A Jersey woman is calling for a radiotherapy unit at the new Jersey hospital.
Rose Shepherd was first diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago and has travelled over to Southampton regularly for her treatment.
The 50-year-old described the experience of travelling to the mainland as 'traumatic' as she's separated from her sons regularly.
Her petition on the States website has already gathered over 2,500 signatures supporting the idea to have a facility on island.
Rose, who is living with incurable cancer, has told ITV News that some cancer patients in the island have asked surgeons to perform a mastectormy rather than continuously travel off island for treatment.
She also raised concerns over people who are in the palliative care stage of their prognosis who were unable to travel for treatment and are instead dying in pain.
Deputy Montford Tadier shares these concerns, and plans to bring a proposition forward for the States to debate the matter.
Earlier this year, Jersey's Health Minister Deputy Richard Renouf mentioned that the government were looking into the possibility of adding a local radiotherapy unit to hospital plans, but to date, no plans for the unit have been confirmed.