A new kidney dialysis unit for north Oxfordshire seems a long way from seeing the light of day.

Today health chiefs stand accused of moving the goalposts.

At the moment, a number of people needing treatment have to travel to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

The journeys take their toll.

None more so than on Miranda Berry’s husband Steven, who has undertaken the trip from his Banbury home for years.

We wanted to crystalise Mr and Mrs Berry’s experience – as well as a host of other families – and their disappointment at today’s news.

It had looked as if the Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) was beginning to warm to the idea of opening a satellite unit in the north of the county.

Bosses pledged to look at the idea of a new dialysis centre next year. Not any more.

The trust insisted the renal unit is going to develop a business plan for potential locations, but admitted it has been put on the back burner until 2011.

It will come as a blow to many and Mrs Berry has accused the trust of playing games.

And it gets worse.

To make a unit viable, the trust had said there needs to be about 24 dialysis patients a year living in the area. It now looks like they will need more.

In isolation, a story such as this would make you bristle.

But the Oxford Mail is seeing more and more cases about geography hitting healthcare.

The popular term ‘postcode lottery’ means that where you live matters when it comes to getting treatment.

It is absurd in a developed country that there is not enough money in the pot to deal with everyone’s health issues.

As Mrs Berry says: “You cannot put a price on a person’s health.”