CANCER services in Lancashire and South Cumbria are to benefit from a £1,585,000 government cash investment.

A local partnership, made up of members of voluntary organisations and representatives of the NHS, has now decided how to spend the funding to improve the care of people with terminal cancer who have additional specialist needs.

The money is Lancashire and South Cumbria's part of a £50 million national package announced a few months ago, and represents a significant increase in NHS funding for specialist cancer care.

The £1.5 million will contribute to:

The appointment of three additional consultants in palliative medicine - including two in East Lancashire - where there are currently none at all.

The appointment of one hospice medical director in East Lancashire - who will be based at Pendleside Hospice.

The development of more 'hospice at home' services, so that patients who want to die within their own homes are able to do so, supported by hospice nurses who are skilled in caring for terminally ill patients.

A 24-hour specialist advice helpline for professionals in East Lancashire, which will be based at East Lancashire Hospice, Blackburn.

The appointment of local palliative care co-ordinators, who will co-ordinate and pull together specialist palliative care cancer services in their area, to ensure patients are getting the best care.

The first co-ordinator has been recruited for East Lancashire. Elaine Entwistle is based at Rossendale Hospital but will cover the whole of the East Lancashire area.

Anne Howard, Nurse Director of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Network, said the funding was a welcome recognition by the Department of Health.

She said: "Until the announcement of this funding there was a sense of frustration round the table as professionals struggled to provide new developments without any funding to do it. Now they feel they can begin to develop services in a way they have been wanting to for a long time."

She added: "This funding is a beginning. We are still a long way off from implementing the Network's full vision for palliative care and much more investment will be needed to make this happen.

"However, the extra investment has fuelled us with the energy to continue to plan the development of services in the hope that we will make a very real difference to the quality of care our patients."