MORE than £370,000 has been spent on the Charles Renton Unit to improve facilities for cancer patients at Hereford County Hospital.

Most of the money has come as a generous donation from the Fred Bulmer Trust.

The work has been undertaken in small phases to enable the unit to continue with its all-important cancer work and the refurbished unit was to be officially opened today.

The Charles Renton Unit was opened in 1996 and its work has increased several times over since that date, acting as the major focus for cancer care, education and out-patient treatment in Herefordshire.

It had three consulting rooms, a treatment room, an area for counselling and an information centre provided through money from Jailbreak.

Now the £320,000 from the Fred Bulmer Trust and around £50,000 donations from other charities has allowed the unit to gain additional consulting rooms, a second treatment room and a more secluded area for administering transfusions and chemotherapy.

Jeremy Millar, chief executive of Hereford Hospitals Trust said the improvements will make a major contribution to the hospital's ability to provide the best possible cancer care.

"We are tremendously grateful to both the Trustees of the Fred Bulmer Trust and other local charity's for their generosity in making this possible,'' he said.

One of the Trustee's, Major David Davenport said they had been delighted to be able to continue their local association of supporting Hereford Hospitals trust in such an important area which affected the lives of so many people.

The unit enables more chemotherapy to be given locally and saves many patients making long journeys outside the county to receive treatment.

The opening today will be carried out by the Rev.Gillian Maude.

l THE Fred Bulmer Trust is named after one of the founder members of the Hereford cider company. Mr Bulmer left money in trust to be used to improve the health and welfare of local people. Over the years the trust has made many generous donations to Hereford Hospitals and on one occasion purchased a new scanner for the County Hospital.

q For more news on the county health scene turn to Page 6.