Stuart Anderson MP has thrown his support behind efforts to improve access to cancer care in the region. On 11th November 2025, he was delighted to attend the parliamentary launch of the Sunflower Fundraising Appeal.
The Sunflower Appeal is spearheaded by local charity, Lingen Davies Cancer Support. Established in 1979, it is the primary cancer charity for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid-Wales.
As their biggest fundraising campaign to date, the Sunflower Appeal hopes to raise £5 million in order to double chemotherapy treatment in the region by developing the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Princess Royal Hospital.
This new centre, which is expected to be operational by 2029, will offer 30 chemotherapy bays, outpatient clinics, a lung diagnostic centre, and a urology investigations unit.
Every year, more than 4,000 new cancer patients are referred to the Lingen Davies Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The prevalence of cancer diagnosis in South Shropshire stands at 6.4%.
The rate is almost double both the national and regional average. As part of his plan to enhance public services in South Shropshire, Stuart has vowed to secure better investment for local health facilities.
Stuart has welcomed this campaign as a significant step to improve the quality of services and outcomes achieved for residents. This includes by reducing waiting times for patients and their families.
The plans are part of the Hospitals Transformation Programme, a £312 investment that will make the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital a specialist emergency care site while, Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital becomes a dedicated planned care site.
Stuart has consistently supported the programme. He made the supporting it one of his first acts as South Shropshire’s new MP, when he tabled a formal written question in Parliament seeking assurances that the project would be fully funded.
In a response published on 25th July 2024, Health Minister Karin Smyth confirmed the Government is “committed to delivering” the hospital transformation programme “as part of the wider National Health Service upgrades programme”.
Once complete, both sites will provide urgent treatment centres, diagnostics, outpatient clinics, midwife-led maternity services, frail and elderly services, and day care chemotherapy.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“As part of my plan to enhance public services, I was delighted to attend the parliamentary launch of the Sunflower Fundraising Appeal. It is spearheaded by Lingen Davies Cancer Support, our region's primary cancer charity. The Sunflower Appeal, which is the charity's biggest fundraising campaign to date, aims to raise £5 million to double chemotherapy treatment in the region. I hope that everyone will support this vital project, which is part of the hospitals transformation programme to ensure that patients are seen by the right teams at the right time – supporting better immediate patient care and delivering a reduction in waiting lists across the region.”
