HEALTH Secretary Dr John Reid has vowed to take up the case of a Westhoughton cancer patient who had to pay more than £8,000 for treatment because he was refused it on the NHS.

Bob Norburn staged a protest about the way he had been treated during a visit yesterday to Prestwich by Dr John Reid.

He met the minister and afterwards Dr Reid said: "I have promised Bob I will look into the case." He said he was confident the situation could be resolved.

The 57-year-old businessman paid £8,417 for life-saving treatment for prostate cancer in Sunderland after being told it was not available in Bolton.

Mr Norburn, of Farleigh Close, Westhoughton, did not want major surgery being offered in Bolton as he feared it would spread the cancer further.

He wanted non-invasive cryotherapy laser treatment in which cancer cells are frozen and killed.

Bolton Primary Care Trust said it would not pay for the treatment because it had not yet been approved by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence.

Following an appeal hearing, the Primary Care Trust is to write to the Sunderland hospital asking that Mr Norburns money be refunded. If it is not, the trust will consider refunding Mr Norburn itself.

Still feeling strongly about his ordeal, Mr Norburn and two supporters, Maurice Kerfoot and Tony Gaffney, picketed the new NHS Walk-In Centre in Fairfax Road, Prestwich, before Dr Reid's visit.

Mr Norburn said: "These guys always turn up for a photo opportunity, but when it is an operation you want, they are nowhere to be seen.

"For 42 years I have paid into the system and I have never sent in a sick note in 25 years. To have to pay for treatment yourself is diabolical and the worst thing is I have voted Labour since I was 18."

Mr Norburn stood outside the NHS centre for almost an hour before he was invited in.

After talking to Dr Reid for 15 minutes, Mr Norburn said: "I had a lot to say to him and I have every confidence he will sort things out.

"It is difficult when you are just a statistic, but when he saw me as a human being he could relate to me and I am sure he had a good degree of respect and understanding of my situation.

"I don't want to be a special case. I want to make progress for everybody. I am not frightened of making a protest as it is not just my life on the line, but other people's as well."

Dr Reid said: "The health service is here for the individual needs of patients. I wasn't aware of the details of this case, but Bob told me this morning.

"It was a local decision and I am confident there will be a satisfactory resolution on this. I have promised Bob I will look into the case and I have started to do that already. I feel confident this situation will be resolved."