NEW improved treatment for lung cancer patients has been put on hold in the region because cash earmarked for cancer services has been diverted elsewhere in the NHS, it was revealed last night.

A year ago, Health Secretary Alan Milburn was at Newcastle General Hospital to launch a multi-million pound investment plan to make Britain's cancer care the envy of the world.

But a senior figure in the region's cancer service has now revealed that much of the extra cash for improving cancer care last year was spent on keeping the NHS afloat - and there is no guarantee it will not happen again this year.

It confirms concerns expressed by MPs on the Commons science and technology committee, who yesterday criticised the Government for failing to keep track of money pledged for cancer care.

Cancer specialists told the committee's inquiry into cancer funding that some of the first tranche of the funding - £280m for 2000-01 - may have been diverted into paying off hospital debts or meeting running costs.

A new form of intensive radiotherapy for lung cancer called CHART is currently on hold in the region because the extra money does not go far enough.

The new treatment is more costly because it is given three times a day instead of once a day.

Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and claimed 34,235 lives in Britain last year.

Professor Reg Hall, director of the Northern Cancer Network, said extra cash had made a real difference to patient care but had so far failed to match the Health Secretary's ambitions.

"It would seem that a certain amount of the money that had theoretically gone to cancer last year ended up going on other things such as winter pressures" said Prof Hall, who is based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

"So the amount that actually came to cancer services was probably considerably less than the money that Alan Milburn had intended."

Prof Hall expressed his frustration that a lot of planning had gone into how the extra money should be spent but the funding did not cover all the planned improvements.

"Last year we were able to do the most important things that we wanted, but there were a lot of other things that ought to have been done that frankly were never discussed because the money was not going to be there," he said.

Prof Hall added: "The bottom line is, there is not enough money and Alan Milburn's intentions have not been delivered."

While new linear accelerator radiotherapy machines had been installed at Newcastle General Hospital and waiting times for radiotherapy had been cut by 40 per cent, there was "a whole lot of basic things that patients should be getting which we have had to put on hold".

A spokeswoman for the British Lung Foundation said: "People with lung cancer should get the best available treatment. Patients will not understand if they are denied that treatment because of cost implications."

Sandra King, chief officer of North Tyneside Community Health Council, said: "We would have concerns if increased funds are not reaching patients at the front line."

But responding to the select committee's report, National Cancer Director Professor Mike Richards said: "The NHS is receiving record levels of investment to improve cancer care. By 2003/04 we will be making an extra £570m a year available to spend on cancer services compared to 2000/01 - an increase of 30 per cent.

"Ultimately, it is up to the local NHS to decide how best to spend extra NHS investment. But we have made it very clear that this investment was allocated to health authorities to improve cancer services, and that is what we expect to see happen."