AN EMPTY cancer centre in Newport will not receive help from the Welsh government despite a campaign from a world-leading physician for its reopening.

Oncology physician Professor Karol Sikora last month sent an open letter to Judith Paget of NHS Wales, health minister Eluned Morgan, and Siôn Jones of Equitix COO - which owns the Rutherford Cancer Centre in Marshfield - proposing a summit to reopen the facility.

Three centres, in Newport, Reading and Northumberland, have been closed for nearly 18 months, despite record cancer backlogs in the UK.

The centres contain cutting-edge cancer technology.

However, Professor Sikora revealed that he has received a response from Ms Morgan which he has branded "disappointing".

"Health minister Eluned Morgan has replied to my offer and essentially said that the Welsh Government plans to do nothing to help reopen the Newport Rutherford cancer centre," he said.

"Despite horrific delays, with just one in two starting treatment within target time in Wales. A target which is woefully out of date already.

"Welsh cancer patients waiting and waiting for treatment must look at that empty facility with astonishment."

In her letter of reply, Ms Morgan said that she was "sorry to see the centre in Newport close given the impact this had on patients under treatment, the staff working at the facility, and the local economy".

"As the centre went into liquidation, my officials worked rapidly with cancer services in Wales to rescue those patients that had not completed their treatment and to repatriate those NHS patients that were due to receive treatment at the Centre under NHS contractual arrangements," she said.

"While I wish to see the NHS in Wales responsible for the delivery of cancer care, I acknowledge the demand facing NHS services poses challenges for cancer waiting times."

Ms Morgan stated that the Welsh Government has "no intention of stepping in to purchase the facility".

"I do not believe it is in the public interest to acquire the cyclotron or proton beam therapy gantry given the capacity available within NHS owned proton beam therapy centres across the UK," she said.

However, Prof Sikora said that proton beam therapy made up "only one part of the centre's capability".

"The UK is falling drastically behind international standards," he said.

Ms Morgan added that Prof Sikora "may wish to be aware that" the Welsh Government had approved the construction of a radiotherapy satellite centre in Abergavenny, which will provide an additional two linear accelerator’s worth of treatment capacity.

This centre, she said, is due to open in 2024.

Despite this assurance, Prof Sikora claims Welsh cancer patients are "being failed again and again".

"We have a state-of-the-art facility rotting away in South Wales and the government plans to do nothing about it," he said.

"What a sorry state of affairs."