A CHARITY has raised £550,000 for a new scanner to help determine treatment plans for cancer patients at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital.

The advanced medical imaging machine, funded by the Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment, is expected to be in operation in Musgrove's radiotherapy department from spring 2018, when the current scanner reaches the end of its serviceable life.

It means that patients with most cancers can continue to be treated locally without having to travel to Bristol.

SURE has already spent £70,000 in 2016 on other equipment for the radiotherapy department to improve the facilities in which patients are cared for.

That equipment includes a scanning couch for patient X-rays; helping the Beacon Centre cancer unit become paperless; an ion chamber for the detection of radiation; radiation analysis equipment; radiographic film; and annual maintenance costs for radiotherapy equipment.

The money has been raised by people across Somerset throughout various events, donations and legacies.

SURE chairman Paul Alway said: "When we agreed to our target of £550,000 to replace the CT scanner at the Beacon Centre we knew it was a big challenge, so to hit the target nine months ahead of schedule is fantastic.

“Thanks to the continued support SURE receives from our amazing fundraisers and supporters across Somerset this has been achieved whilst being able to continue supporting the day to day needs of the Beacon Centre to keep it delivering cancer treatment of the highest quality.”

Dr Petra Jankowska, Musgrove Park Hospital’s clinical lead for radiotherapy, said: "It is truly humbling to have so much support from all the people who work on behalf of this amazing charity and is a testament to the people of Somerset that they support their local radiotherapy centre in this way.

“The new scanner will greatly benefit patients in ensuring they have access to the most up-to-date facilities possible, and furthermore will allow us to manage the higher numbers of patients we are seeing for radiotherapy treatment in a timely way.

"The more complex scans will be that much quicker to do. We now can’t wait to have it up and running in the Beacon Centre.”