Published at 13:12, Friday, 30 October 2009

WORK is under way on an £160,000 expansion of Furness General Hospital’s oncology unit.

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, which runs FGH, has planning permission for two, single-storey extensions at the back of the existing ward, to form a consulting room and complementary therapy room.

A room will be created for cancer patients to receive more free complementary treatments, which include massage and aromatherapy.

Patients have said the complementary treatments help them relax and cope better with chemotherapy.

The trust has said there are also plans to increase the number of nurse and consultant-led clinics in the unit after the work is complete, meaning staff will be able to see more patients.

Patrick McGahon, director of service and commercial development at the trust, said: “The extension of the oncology unit at FGH is fantastic news for cancer patients across Morecambe Bay.

“Undergoing chemotherapy can be a very stressful time for patients and their families and the additional complementary therapy sessions will go some way to help ease that stress.

“We would like to offer a huge thank you to all the fund-raisers and the charitable funds committee who made this work possible.”

The trust insists the work will not disrupt services at the unit. Jenny Collier, the evening coordinator for Furness Breast Cancer Support Group, said it is fantastic the unit is being expanded. Mrs Collier, 59, of Askam, is a breast cancer survivor, who benefited from aromatherapy during her treatment. She said: “When you go through something like breast cancer and you’ve had something like a mastectomy, you feel vulnerable and you have a loss of confidence.

“The treatments help you relax and can help you emotionally.

“The oncology unit is absolutely fantastic and the staff are wonderful. It is the way they talk to you and make you feel.

“It is very frightening at first but the staff are very good at explaining everything and they are always there.”

The oncology unit opened in May 2004.

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