A NEW £9million centre for cancer and haematology patients at Harrogate District Hospital has been officially opened.

The Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre is a new outpatient oncology and information centre, providing a state-of-the-art facility for people affected by cancer in North Yorkshire.

The build was possible with a £3.5million donation by Sir Robert Ogden. This figure was matched by Macmillan Cancer Support, while Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust provided £2million.

The centre was built to replace an outpatient haematology and chemotherapy unit at the hospital, which wasn’t large enough to meet a growing need. The centre also means many patients in Harrogate no longer have to travel to Leeds or York for treatment.

The new centre includes a treatment area, which has 14 chairs for patients to receive chemotherapy, and separate surgical areas for procedures such as blood tests.

There is also space for six clinic rooms, two rooms for counselling and a staff room. By the main entrance is the supportive care, health and wellbeing area, where services include patient information and support, complementary therapies and welfare benefits advice.

Sir Robert Ogden said: “I am delighted that the people of North Yorkshire now have a new cancer treatment and resource centre. I am proud to have been closely involved in the project and I am certain that the Harrogate Centre will prove to be as successful as the earlier centre I funded with Macmillan at St James’s Hospital Leeds”.