A MAJOR fundraising campaign is being launched to raise £180,000 to pay for a Macmillan doctor and nurse to care for cancer patients at Basingstoke hospital.

Macmillan Cancer Relief aims to use the money to pay for the training of a lead cancer clinician and a cancer nurse, as well as providing grants to patients who are experiencing financial difficulties.

The campaign - which is being backed by The Basingstoke Extra and its sister newspaper The Gazette - will see Macmillan Cancer Relief working in partnership with the North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust to fund the new posts.

Basingstoke and Deane Mayor Cllr Rita Burgess is to launch the appeal by hosting a lunchtime reception at the Civic Offices on Friday.

Cllr Burgess hopes that local schools, companies and shops will get their staff to carry out fundraising on behalf of the Macmillan Cancer Relief appeal.

Cllr Burgess said: "I am very happy to support the sterling work that Macmillan Cancer Relief is doing for sufferers of cancer and their families.

"This appeal will help to ensure that Basingstoke and Deane continues to be in the forefront of cancer treatment and care."

As one of the country's leading charities, Macmillan currently has around 300 doctors and more than 2,000 nurses working in hospitals throughout the UK.

Allan Blythe, chairman of the North Hampshire Macmillan committee, is spearheading the latest fundraising campaign. Mr Blythe said: "By funding such posts, Macmillan Cancer Relief can help to influence cancer care in north Hampshire, working towards the ideal that everyone should have equal and ready access to the best cancer treatment and care."

He said the charity has taken on a serious commitment and undertaken a legal obligation with the NHS trust.

Mr Blythe explained: "We will pay the salary and training costs for the first three years, which is the amount of time it takes to train the doctor and nurse. The hospital will take on the commitment after that.

"The pair will work together with other health professionals to enhance the care and treatment that other people with cancer receive at Basingstoke hospital."

Mr Blythe said a key role for Macmillan will be to build links between hospital and community care, working with district nurses, GPs and other healthcare professionals to ensure the right care is available for people with cancer during treatment and when they return home from hospital.

He added: "Although £180,000 is a lot of money to ask for, this will be a tremendous resource for the Basingstoke area, with patients being sent to Basingstoke hospital from as far away as Andover to Aldershot and from the West Berkshire boarders to Alton.

"The doctor and nurse will both be based at the hospital. That means they can affect the care of about 50 to 70 patients."

Mr Blythe said almost £70,000 was given to Hampshire people in financial difficulty because of their illness in 2001.

"However, more local people are being diagnosed with cancer every week, and our services are needed more than ever," said Mr Blythe.

Urging people to back the appeal, Mr Blythe said: "We need a lot of help to achieve such a large target. Not least, we need individual people to join us in making collections, including a couple of people to join our organising committee."

Anyone who wants to find out more about supporting the appeal can contact Mr Blythe on 01256 470736.

Let us know if you are organising an event in aid of the latest Macmillan Cancer Relief appeal.

Call Richard Garfield on 01256 337430 or send him an e-mail at richard.garfield@basingstokegazette.co.uk