KENT and Medway's cancer network has adopted a new model of care for cancer patients that will make greater use of local hospitals for routine cancer treatment.

Under the new system hospitals such as Maidstone Hospital, Medway Maritime Hospital and the Kent and Sussex Hospital at Tunbridge Wells will provide ongoing localised care for patients suffering from cancer.

Professor Roger James, director of the Kent and Medway Cancer Network, said: "Despite the fact that many cancers are now curable it is still a medical problem which frightens those who are diagnosed with it and, of course, their families.

"We want to introduce a system which will make access to treatment as user-friendly as possible for as many of our patients as we can and that is why we are we are setting out on this fundamental reorganisation of the care we provide."

He added: "We intend to dramatically improve access for patients across all the areas covered by the Kent Oncology Centre so that our patients are given their routine treatment as close to their homes as physically possible. This means that most people will be catered for at their nearest hospital."

There will also be individually tailored arrangements for patients who require more complicated treatments or who are very ill with specific cancers.

For example, at Margate there will be a women's cancer centre for specialist surgical treatment while treatment for other cancers such as gastro-intestinal or neurological will be centred at Maidstone. Children will continue to be treated in a London hospital.

However, patients with more common cancers such as colo-rectal and breast cancer will receive care at their local hospital.

Patients requiring specialist inpatient care other than surgery, such as combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or with less common and higher risk forms of cancer will be treated at Maidstone.

Prof James said the proposals would help meet the Government's push to keep NHS treatment as local as possible for as many as possible.