Patients from north Shropshire travelling to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) for treatment might be affected by current building work, but services are running normally.

Work at the hospital started last week for a new Macmillan Cancer Support Service as well as extending services at the Hamar Centre, expected to be completed in summer 2020.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) provide counselling and wellbeing services at the Hamar Centre for people with cancer and life-threatening conditions.

The current Macmillan Cancer Support Service will be relocated to a larger space within the Hamar Centre.

This will include a quite room for patents and carers and is some which provides information and advice to people living with cancer.

Adding this to the centre is an important addition due to people living with cancer diagnosis needing emotional support at some point in their experience.

Macmillan have invested over £380,000 in with fundraising income and partnership manager Tudor Humphreys delighted to be working with SaTH to create a new Macmillan Cancer Support Service.

He said: “Macmillan’s ambition is to ensure that everyone with cancer gets the support they need from the moment they are diagnosed.

“Planned improvements to the service will mean that this is possible.

“The extra space and resources will enable staff and volunteers to provide specialist cancer information and support to more people living with cancer throughout Shropshire.”

Julia Clarke, director of corporate services at SaTH, added: “The financial assistance from Macmillan Cancer Support, Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, The League of Friends of the RSH and the SaTH charity has enabled us to make these improvements, for which we are very grateful.”

Other local charity partners within the Trust have also put forward a total of £120,000 towards the cost of the development.

Shropshire-based building contractors, Pave Aways, won the contract to manage the new build.

Managing director of Pave Aways, Steven Owen, said: “Once completed, the new facility will significantly enhance the service on offer to patients across Shropshire, which is fantastic news.

“As work gets under way, our experience im the health sector means we have the knowledge and skills to deliver the project while ensuring the day-to-day business of caring for patients is not disrupted.”