CHRISTIE Hospital bosses fear patients could be left untreated unless improvements are made.

More than 6,500 extra treatments were given at the Christie Hospital in 1998/99.

"In many sectors such demand would be wholly welcome and would trigger the release of additional resources," said Chief Executive Mike Fry "Regrettably in a cash limited health system this can never be the case and we look to improved ways of working if we are to remain as effective without leaving patients untreated or other demands unmet." One-off regional fund helped to ease the pressures on radiotherapy waiting times and enabled more operations, mainly plastic surgery, to be performed.

Yet a growing number of referrals meant the radiotherapy waiting list remained under pressure and at one stage a lack of cash meant a radiotherapy machine had to be temporarily closed.

Finance boss Royce Batters fears current cost pressures and an ever increasing workload could result in a financial deficit in 1999/2000 and already it faces a £497,000 cash deficit. Despite these mounting pressures however, there were improvements in services to patients and the extent and quality of research and technical support activities grew.

Following a regional review of physiotherapy facilities, the Trust is currently trying to secure additional funding for a programme of improvements which are expected to last several years and cost several millions of pounds.

John Lee, chairman of Christie until next April, takes a wider view of the Trust's financial position and states that "the nation has to decide just how much it is willing to spend on cancer prevention and treatment. "Although this has been increasing in recent years, we still spend significantly less per head of population than most other advanced nations."

Mr Lee attributes much of Christie's success to the legacies and donations which it benefits from on an annual basis.

This cash, Mr Lee says, has enabled the Trust to improve dramatically the quality of equipment, the site and buildings.

And this year, thanks to money from the centenary appeal - currently standing at £18.3 million - a third surgical theatre is being built.

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