HAMMERSMITH Hospital has been chosen alongside a dozen others in the UK to get access to life-saving drugs for blood cancer patients.

Poor survival rates for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma has seen the Tommorow's Treatments Today scheme set up by the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research charity.

A research nurse will be allocated to the W6 hospital to work with patients and take care of the time-consuming paperwork that comes with any clinical trial.

Dr David Marin, Leukaemia and Lymphoma research clinical trials co-ordinator at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Hammersmith Hospital, said: "Being part of this clinical trials network will increase the access of blood cancer patients in London to life-saving drugs and treatments.

"It offers hope to patients who do not respond to current treatments."

Blood cancers are the most common cause of cancer deaths in under 35s with more than 12,000 people dying from related conditions each year.

Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, said: "Our investment will set in place a unique infrastructure to co-ordinate world class trial and deliver Tomorrow's Treatments Today and give more blood cancer patients in London a future."

For more information visit www.beatbloodcancers.org .