New Staffordshire chemotherapy suite welcomed by council chiefs

Cannock Chase Hospital will be able to treat very sick cancer patients for long stays under a move by health bosses.

The new suite is set to open in July with patients being referred straight away.

The service is being moved from the County Hospital in Stafford.

George Adamson, leader of Cannock Chase Council, said: "It's brilliant news for the people of Cannock. We have always had to travel to Wolverhampton, Stafford or Stoke, so it is encouraging that we will have a service like this here. It's bad enough that you have to travel whenever you are ill but when you have cancer it is even worse.

"We fully support this move and it will ease the lives of people in Cannock with cancer and their families."

The move takes place as part of a shake up of services at County Hospital in Stafford.

There will be some day services and appointments for cancer patients in Stafford and recovery beds will be available in the county town.

Cannock Chase Hospital is now run by the Royal Wolverhampton Trust who will provide the cancer service.

Gwen Nuttall, chief operating officer at the Royal Wolverhampton Trust which runs Cannock Hospital, said: "The transfer of oncology and haematology services from the County Hospital is the latest phase in the process of ensuring that all patients continue to receive the best possible care following the dissolution of the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust. We are working closely with colleagues from University Hospital North Midland to make sure all patients get the treatment and support they need in the most effective and efficient manner."

Meanwhile a £2 million revamp will take place at the County Hospital for cancer patient appointments and open next year.

Wards one and two, which house the haematology and oncology services at the County Hospital will close in August, under the measures announced by the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust.

It comes as the children's services are set to be close today after part of the downgrade of the county town's hospital after it was deemed clinically and financially unsustainable.

But trust chief executive Mark Hackett said there was scope in the administrator's report to move the services.

He said that there was fewer than one patient a day using the haematology inpatient facility in Stafford.