Just back from our 'convention' in Leicester and what a great time I had meeting so many lovely people who I had only known on line up to now. If you are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and can join a group like this, then you will, or could never feel alone. I'm sure I'll keep going every year now and the support for our campaign in Cumbria was tremendous. I have become known as 'The man from Penrith', and some of them even knew where Penrith is!

So what will this coming week bring?

I am hoping to get feedback from our MP Rory Stewart, who I have asked to communicate with the Trust regarding their stance of, 'No comment'. Their hope that this will all just "blow over", will not happen, and there are 11,685 reasons on this Blog why it won't!

Tuesday 28th will be an interesting deadline, because that is the date that the Trust have to provide the information that we have asked for under the Freedom of Information Act. Our group have asked a sample of Trusts from around the country to provide the following information...

"The number of patients investigated for suspected breast cancer and the number of patients investigated for suspected prostate cancer, who received a decision to treat within the 31 day target, for each of the sixteen calendar months to April 30th 2011.

The number of patients with breast cancer, and the number of patients with prostate cancer, who received their first treatment within the 62 day target, for each of the sixteen calendar months to April 30th 2011.

The number of patients with suspected breast cancer, and the number of patients with suspected prostate cancer, not receiving a decision to treat within the 31 day target, and the mean number of days by which the target was missed, for each of the sixteen calendar months to April 30th 2011.

The number of patients with breast cancer, and the number of patients with prostate cancer, not receiving first treatment within the 62 day target, and the mean number of days by which the target was missed, for each of the sixteen calendar months to April 30th 2011."

Our objective is to find how your post code can influence your treatment when diagnosed with one or other of these cancers. I will be discussing this during a programme on BBC's Radio Five Live later in the week.

I have to say that all other NHS Trusts have replied well within the deadline and that the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust is alone in not having replied. Still, we must respect that they do have until Tuesday to provide this information.