Dramatic changes in cancer services which will affect patients in North Yorkshire have been approved by health chiefs.

A £163 million specialist cancer centre, to be built at St James's Hospital in Leeds, is one step closer to fruition after North Yorkshire and Leeds Health Authorities agreed in principle to a plan to consolidate services.

The plans are now awaiting the approval of three other West Yorkshire health authorities.

The new centre will not affect services provided by York District Hospital - but will benefit many cancer patients who are already transferred to Leeds for treatment.

The Yorkshire Cancer Network is being developed in response to the Government's national cancer plan, and part of that plan is to centre services for a region in one place to provide a wider and more effective service.

The changes in cancer care facilities around the country are hoped to improve survival rates which currently stand at 36 per cent surviving five years as opposed to 46 per cent in the rest of Europe.

The purpose-built facility in Leeds, which will replace existing facilities at Cookridge Hospital, will serve a population of 2.7 million and will be the base for non-surgical cancer treatment and specialist operations.

A spokesman for Leeds Health Authority, who agreed to the plans at a meeting yesterday, said: "The plan is to amalgamate all cancer services under one roof.

"The cancer service plan for the region has been under discussion for some time and the latest agreements take the multi-million pound plans one step closer to happening."

The Leeds scheme will include 142 in-patient beds, 52 day case beds, a new diagnostic suite for non-surgical cancer services and 12 bunkers for linear accelerators which provide radiotherapy treatment.

And for cancers which affect the blood, 40 in-patient beds and 48 day case beds are planned.

Updated: 11:18 Tuesday, June 19, 2001