EXTRA clinics and a new specialist nurse are to be brought in to Leighton Hospital following additional funding for cancer services.

The £52,000 for Leighton Hospital is part of £87,893 which has been given to South Cheshire to improve colorectal cancer services.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common form of the disease and causes 20,000 deaths in this country every year.

The money at Leighton Hospital will be used to fund a specialist nurse in colorectal cancer and provide extra clinics, run by Christie consultants taking the number to four each week.

Some one off purchases will also be made including two extra scopes and special equipment for the pathology lab.

"This money is very welcome, it helps us take our bowel cancer service forward and in particular the nursing post is going to be an exciting development and allow us to explore many ways of treating and looking after patients," said Leighton Hospital spokesman John Wicks

Nationally 10 million has been made available with £1.4 million coming to the north west.

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