Health bosses have been criticised for failing to reopen cancer centre’s which could help alleviate the backlog of treatment for NHS patients.

Word-leading oncologist Professor Karol Sikora, and founder of the Rutherford Centre in Reading, said that is frustrating to see his state-of-the-art cancer centres stand empty.

The owners of Rutherford, Equitix, were forced to close all three facilities and services across the UK in June 2022 after financial difficulties during the pandemic.

Professor Sikora has since made it his ‘mission’ to get the centres open again, ensuring that people receive top diagnostic treatment for early detection.

“Despite a lot of discussion nothing has been done to get it opened again despite the fact that we’re having the worst backlog of cancer that I know I’ve certainly experienced as 40 years as an NHS consultant,” Sikora said.

“It’s all very strange that no one has thought to do anything to push it forward, especially when the Covid vaccination programme was handled so well logistically.

“It was a fantastic bit of logistics by the Government and now here we have the cancer backlog. It’s the same logistical problem but no-one is willing to push things forward.”

The Rutherford Centre just outside Reading, as well as locations in Northumberland and Newport, worked with the NHS to provide diagnostic scanning, MS scanning, CG scanning, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for both private and NHS patients.

Following the closure last year, the health suites are “gathering dust” whilst the backlog on diagnostics and treatment continues to increase.

Professor Sikora explained: “We really need to get the owners of the centre, the NHS and members of the Royal Berkshire Trust in a room together until we can find a way to open these centres to NHS cancer patients.

“Private patients will follow but if we can get rid of the backlog that would be my aim. It would take 2 years to do that, including weekend working with the diagnostic team.

Rutherford cancer centre in Reading has seen around 3,000 NHS and private patients through their doors to receive treatments between 2016 and 2022.

Professor Sikora, 75, has written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay and NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard requesting a meeting to discuss opening the centres in the future.

NHS England told the Daily Express: “The NHS has purchased just under 200 brand new scanners over the last year, including previous Rutherford assets which met NHS specifications, as part of a £2.3billion investment.”