A DONATION by a Thurrock-based charity will help speed diagnosis at Basildon Hospital

The £20,500 gift for new equipment will mean women with early stage breast cancer attending the hospital will have their diagnosis confirmed more quickly.

The grant from the Christine Willett Trust has funded the purchase of a diagnostic display system that lets clinicians see key information and images at the same time.

Colin Willett, who founded the charity in 1993 after his wife died from breast cancer, visited the hospital's breast care unit recently to see the equipment in action and meet staff.

Since then the charity has raised nearly £340,000 for cancer equipment in hospitals across Essex, including some £68,000 for Basildon &Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Phill Johnson, operations manager at Basildon Hospital, said: "This machine is revolutionary. It can detect cancers as small as two millimetres in size and enables our clinicians to identify cancers accurately.

"We can now run our clinics in a quicker and more efficient manner, as everything the patient needs to have a diagnosis can be done in one room."

The equipment will help ensure that most women with early stage breast cancer make a full recovery.

Clair Grayston, fundraising officer, said: "The Christine Willett Trust has donated an amazing £68,000 worth of equipment to Basildon Hospital over the last 20 years. We are very thankful to Colin and the Christine Willett Trust for continuing to support us. This equipment is vital and will help us enhance the care we can provide to our patients with cancer."