The Weston Park Cancer Centre is the subject of a £50million plan to improve care for over a million people in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw.
Numerous MPs and leaders have written to the government Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, asking him to invest in and transform the Centre.
The Sheffield City Region Mayor, Dan Jarvis MP, is one of those who wrote to Mr Hancock.
Jarvis said: “We have a shovel-ready plan that will transform the lives of cancer patients, not just in South Yorkshire, but across the country. Political leaders are united behind this plan and we now need the government to back us.”
It is estimated that, between March and December 2020, there have been 7,000 fewer cancer referrals and 500 fewer diagnosed cases.
The World Health Organisation acknowledges that a cancer epidemic is one of the greatest risks posed by Covid19. This is why ministers believe the new plans are so crucial for the people living in the South Yorkshire region.
Kirsten Major, Chief Executive of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust, said: “Weston Park Cancer Centre is one of four dedicated cancer hospitals in the NHS in England and has always been at the forefront of cancer care and research.
“We have some of the best cancer specialists in Europe working in the Centre, but we need to match the facilities we have with that expertise in order to continue to deliver the most advanced care possible for patients.”