CANCER patients in Lancashire and South Cumbria are set to reap the benefits of a record investment by the government.

The government announced £93 million of lottery money for cancer care nationwide - and the Royal Preston Hospital is set to receive a new MRI scanner and Linear Accelerator (Linac) to reduce waiting lists, treat more patients and more types of cancer.

NHS trusts have been invited to lodge bids for cancer equipment but the government have assured trusts that they will receive all of the vital equipment they need.

Work is already being carried out to house the hospital's third Linac machine and provision has been made for this, their fourth. The MRI scanner will be the hospital's second.

Dr Graham Read, director of the division of specialist services Preston and Chorley NHS Trusts, said: "If our bid is successful, the new Linac would allow the Lancashire and Lakeland Radiotherapy Unit to treat an extra 40 cancer patients every day from the area.

"Patients from the Blackburn and Burnley regions can be catered for here rather than having to trek to Christies in Manchester.

"When I first started treating people with cancer, it was a case of guessing the approximate size and location of the disease - now you can see exactly where it is and how big it is.

"Preston is a regional neurosurgery centre so the new equipment gives us the capacity to get more cancer patients screened and treated. It will certainly reduce any waiting lists radiotherapy straight away.

"I won't say we will have no waiting lists left but that is something we would like to achieve."

The funding has come from the New Opportunities Fund and has been welcomed by Secretary of State for Health Frank Dobson.

He added: "Cancer patients at more than 200 hospitals across the country will benefit from this huge investment - the biggest ever boost for cancer patients.

"It will mean that the excellence of NHS cancer staff will be matched by excellent and reliable equipment."

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