WORK is under way on an £8.7million expansion of Southend Hospital’s radiotherapy unit which will become home to new state-of-the-art equipment using beams of high energy X-rays or electrons to destroy cancer cells.

Cranes are now on site at the hospital, in Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff, as contractors move the scheme ahead to boost cancer treatment services for south Essex.

The £5million extension is expected to be completed in the summer, before opening in the autumn.

Echo: Visit - Anna Firth MP with staff on her visit to the Southend Hospital siteVisit - Anna Firth MP with staff on her visit to the Southend Hospital site (Image: Anna Firth MP)

It will also become home to a new £3.7million linear accelerator machine.

This machine uses a dose of high energy X-rays or electrons to target cancer cells while reducing damage to surrounding organs and healthy tissue.

In turn, it will reduce the risk of side-effects of the treatment.

Anna Firth, MP for Southend West, visited Southend Hospital where she was shown the new expansion.

Echo: Plans - Works get underwayPlans - Works get underway (Image: Mid and South Essex NHS Trust)

She said: “I made one of my regular visits to Southend Hospital. I was able to have a detailed meeting with Andrew Pike, the chief operating officer, who gave me up-to-the-minute information about patient care and ambulance waiting times.

“I was very excited to see under construction the radiotherapy bunker and new A&E wing. Patients will benefit hugely from the new linear accelerator radiotherapy service and an improved A&E service.”

The new linear accelerator machine, which can be used for the majority of cancers, will treat patients from across south Essex.

Echo: How the expanded unit will lookHow the expanded unit will look (Image: AD Architects)

Its new building allows the radiotherapy unit to have its own entrance which means patients having radiotherapy will no longer need to walk through the hospital to get to their appointment, minimising the contact they have with other patients and visitors.

Nicky Whilde, head of radiotherapy physics for Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, added: “The £5million extension is expected to be completed this summer and open to patients in the autumn.

“It will be home to a new £3.7million linear accelerator machine, which uses beams of high energy X-rays or electrons to destroy cancer cells while reducing damage to surrounding organs and healthy tissue, meaning patients are less likely to have long-term side effects because of their treatment.”