An �840,000 project to extend chemotherapy services and improve the palliative care day room at a King's Lynn hospital has been given the green light.

The extension to the existing chemotherapy suite at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital will start in September and take around five months to complete.

It will allow chemo services to provide more space for the existing nine treatment stations, with the potential to increase to 12.

Additional services provided in the enlarged chemo area will include a new drug preparation area and the project will include a full upgrade of heating, electrical and medical gas services.

Macmillan Cancer Support has put �400,000 towards the project with the hospital investing �240,000. The remaining �200,000 has come from the hospital trust's charitable donations fund.

Dr Athar Ahmad, consultant oncologist, said: 'This is an exciting development for the unit although we appreciate there will be some inconvenience for patients during the construction phase, for which we apologise in advance.

'The new extension will enable us to increase the number of chemotherapy chairs, which means we will be able to treat more patients and reduce waiting times for treatment.'

Carol Fenton, general manager for East Anglia at Macmillan Cancer Support, added: 'We are delighted work on a much-needed extension to the existing Macmillan chemotherapy unit will get under way this autumn.

'The capacity of the current facilities no longer meets the needs of cancer patients from King's Lynn and the surrounding areas. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Trust in achieving this exciting new development.'

During the course of construction work all Macmillan Cancer Support services, along with the centre's staff, will re-locate to West Newton ward as from September 17. Details of the arrangements will be issued to patients over the coming weeks.

At the same time, Shouldham ward, the hospital's cancer in-patient ward, will relocate temporarily to Marham ward for the duration of the building work.