LEADING figures from Macmillan Cancer Support will visit Southampton General Hospital today to see the results of their fundraising.

The visit will take in the Macmillan acute oncology service, developed and funded by the charity and hospital, which provides 24-hour emergency assessment and care for cancer patients.

Chief executive Lynda Thomas and Dr Fran Woodard, director of policy and impact, will meet chief cancer nurse Alison Keen for a tour.

The hospital offers emergency telephone triage, advice, assessments and treatment to people who need urgent care as a result of their treatment and works with other hospital departments to ensure any patient who has a confirmed or suspected cancer diagnosis but is admitted for another reason is seen by a cancer specialist within 24 hours.

Since 2011, it has evolved from a Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm resource with six staff who handled 150 calls a month, to a 24/7 operation with 28 staff dealing with an average of 480 calls a month.

The guests will then move onto the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre, a service set up in 2005 to offer people opportunities to talk, access to support groups and help with practical matters.

The centre, which has a manager, coordinator, 20 volunteers and 14 complementary therapists, received the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark in 2010 for excellence in providing a comforting setting and level of information for patients and their families.

Ms Keen, who worked for Macmillan before joining the hospital, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Lynda and Fran to come and meet our staff and see these excellent services in operation.

“Our partnerships with Macmillan have enabled us to enhance the services we provide for cancer patients and we are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our work.”