Cancer centre planned for Cromer Hospital

An extra 10,000 outpatient appointments are expected to be created annually if the centre is approved

More cancer patients would receive treatment closer to home if a £4.1m centre was built, a hospital has said.

A disused ward at Cromer Hospital could be extended to accommodate six chemotherapy chairs, three clinic rooms and two minor procedure rooms.

Currently most Cromer patients travel to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for treatment.

Plans are due to be submitted later this year and, if approved, the centre would take a year to build.

Macmillan Cancer Support, which has invested £2.2m in the scheme, said it would offer information and support at the new building, called the North Norfolk Macmillan Centre.

'A fantastic opportunity'

Cromer Hospital currently offers chemotherapy one day a week, but the six treatment chairs would allow up to 36 patients to receive chemotherapy each day, five days a week.

An extra 10,000 outpatient appointments are expected to be created annually - on top of the 45,000 across the hospital currently.

The centre would also free up hospital space for an extra 600 surgical procedures in dermatology, urology, vascular surgery and pain management.

The Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity is contributing £1.5m to the centre, with the remaining £450,000 from funds at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Trust.

Prof Erika Denton, the trust's medical director, said: "Our cancer centre [at Norwich] is one of the largest in the UK, treating 6,000 patients each year.

"Although patients will still need to come to Norwich for some of their appointments, this is a fantastic opportunity to deliver more care closer to people's homes and reduce the number of journeys to Norwich."