CANCER patients’ treatment is being delayed because a hospital’s radiotherapy machine has broken down.

One of four machines at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton worth £500,000 is said to have been broken for more than a month.

In 2012 a total of £3 million was set aside for radiotherapy services across Sussex including the replacement of the four machines in Brighton.

But a hospital employee said the machines have not been replaced.

The employee said: “The radiotherapy machine in the cancer centre is breaking almost daily as it’s so old.

“It should have been replaced last year but wasn’t and now patients are forced to have their treatments delayed and staff are being asked to work until as late as 9pm and at weekends as a result.

“Staff are angry about the effect all this has on cancer patients.”

A spokeswoman for Brighton and University Hospitals said the four machines will be replaced in the next two years.

She said: “One of our four radiotherapy machines has recently been undergoing vital repairs. Engineers are working to get it up and running again as soon as possible.

“Patient care is our top priority and staff have been putting on extra radiotherapy sessions at weekends and working extra shifts to ensure that the impact on patients is kept to a minimum.

“The trust is investing a huge amount of money in equipment, which will replace all of the radiotherapy machines in the next two years.”

More than 2,500 patients a year travel from across the county for radiotherapy at the Royal Sussex.