THERE is an urgent need for a new cancer centre in Taunton.

That's what MP Jeremy Browne told Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt when he met with her on Tuesday.

And he also raised concerns about the closure of the Alfred Morris Centre.

Plans have been underway to build a new cancer centre at Musgrove Park Hospital, but it has been delayed several times in the past few months while the final details of a private finance agreement are resolved.

Mr Browne said: "It is wrong that cancer patients are still having to travel to Bristol to receive treatment.

"I am so frustrated by the repeated delays to the building of the new cancer centre.

"I have been assured by senior managers at Musgrove Park Hospital that all the obstacles will be overcome and the cancer centre will be built.

"I have asked Patricia Hewitt to make sure the cancer centre does not slip further behind schedule.

"I have much hope that her intervention will not be required and we will get the go-ahead before the end of October."

Taunton's prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives Mark Formosa is also concerned about the delays, but he feels there's too much Government red tape holding the project up.

He said: "This whole process has been an administrative minefield.

"The Government should not be setting up rules that result in massive delays to important developments that affect our health service. The longer the state drags its feet, the longer local people have to make the journey to Bristol for vital treatment."

"The Government is refusing to comment on this because they say they have not been involved in the proposal so far.

"They are passing the buck to Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust which quite frankly is not good enough."

A spokesman for the hospital said: "We are as frustrated as everyone at the delays to finalising this scheme.

"Private Finance Initiative is the only route we have available to us to fund capital projects such as this.

"PFIs are highly complex multi-agency deals and the kind of detailed negotiations that have been taking place are in some sense par for the course."