A campaign has been started to try and bring a satellite radiotherapy centre to Stevenage’s Lister Hospital.

At the moment the closest centre is 30 miles away in Middlesex at the Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood, which means long round trips for patients from North Herts who need treatment.

But North East Herts MP Sir Oliver Heald is trying to change that.

He has been collecting signatures this week for a petition to present to the House of Commons.

Sir Oliver said: “The government has poured investment into the Lister Hospital and we now see excellent facilities come on-stream.

“The time has come for us also to have a radiotherapy unit available in North Hertfordshire.

“The journey to Mount Vernon is arduous by car and almost impossible by public transport.

“We should not be putting cancer patients through this stress.”

He has also asked local charities and voluntary bodies to support his campaign by collecting signatures for the petition.

In August 2010 Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland also launched a campaign to bring a radiotherapy centre to the Lister, which was backed by the Comet.

At the time almost 2,000 people supported the campaign.