A CANCER patient told how his daily treatment was cancelled twice in a row after a radiotherapy machine broke down.

Medics at Southend Hospital first experienced problems with the faulty machine on Monday as 70-year-old Robert Evans was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. He is in the penultimate week of a seven-week programme of daily radiotherapy.

Mr Evans, who lives in Bouvel Drive, Burnham on Crouch, is one of 16 patients to have their treatment cancelled.

He has twice made the 24 mile journey to the hospital, in Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff - only to be told to go home.

Mr Evans said: “The machine broke down while I was having treatment on Monday. I was told to attend the following day but got sent home. The same thing happened on Wednesday.

“I also have to go to my GP to have injections which I’m supposed to be having in conjunction with the radiotherapy.

Mr Evans added: “They just say ‘come again tomorrow.’ It’s not good enough.

“It’s upsetting that I’m not getting the treatment that I’m supposed to be getting.

“It also takes a lot of trouble and making arrangements to get to the hospital only to be let down and do it all again the next day.”

Southend Hospital is set to be a specialist cancer centre for Essex under a radical shake-up of heath services in the county by the Mid and South Essex Success Regime, which will see Basildon, Southend and Broomfield, in Chelmsford, work together.

Nicolai Greet, radiotherapy services manager at the hospital, said: “Unfortunately, 16 of our patients have had treatments postponed due to the breakdown of one of our radiotherapy machines.

“I am pleased to say that they have all been booked in for weekend or Bank Holiday sessions, something we don’t normally do, but dedicated staff are working extra sessions this Saturday and on the upcoming Bank Holidays to compensate . Mr Evans’ treatment will still be completed on the date it was originally planned in early May.”

He added: “A new part for the machine is being delivered and we expect it to be back working later this week. These are sophisticated machines and following repair need to be rigorously tested prior to resuming clinical use.

“I’d also like to apologise for any inconvenience those patients affected have had at what is an extremely stressful time for them, and we have made it clear there is no clinical impact on their treatment outcome as a result of this.”