Airedale Hospital is to use a huge legacy from a local woman to help finance a new day care centre for breast cancer patients.

Trustees at the Steeton hospital have approved the use of £300,000 left to it by Bessie Richardson towards the development of the new breast care centre.

Work is already under way on the Haematology and Oncology Day Unit (HODU), which is being developed in the former theatre department.

The unit, which the hospital expects to be completed by the end of this year, will include a Bessie Richardson Clinic in honour of the generous benefactor.

Director of finance Janet Crouch said: "We have made the best of what we have already but we are moving the breast clinic up to that area to provide patients with better facilities and more consulting rooms."

Mrs Richardson, from Steeton, who died just short of her 80th birthday in March 2000, was an active member of the WRVS at the hospital.

Mrs Crouch added that cash from the Sarah McKie fund, set up in memory of the 19-year-old from Haworth who died last year of breast cancer, would also be put towards the new unit.

"The Sarah McKie fund will be used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment which will enable consultants and a multi-disciplinary team to have meetings with everyone involved in a patient's episode," she said.

"There will be video links so members of the team can contact other hospitals."

The HODU is being developed alongside the refurbishment of the X-ray department as part of a £2.8 million scheme. Health chiefs at Airedale have announced a number of other projects that will be implemented using the £8.2 million that the trust is likely to have in the new financial year.

Ward 13 will be refurbished at an estimated cost of £500,000, with work expected to start in May.

Another £150,000 will be spent on statutory health and safety and fire precaution work.

The main entrance will have an extension and another set of doors added at an estimated cost of £70,000 to stop cold air blowing into the reception.

A further £180,000 will be used to buy pathology equipment currently leased by the department and new items.

The hospital's standby switchboard, which was improved as part of the millennium contingency work, will receive a further upgrade to further protect communications.

The regional health office has approved £350,000 towards the refurbishment of the Sterile Services Department. The trust must add a top-up of £150,000. Airedale has also applied for health authority funding to upgrade its Ear, Nose and Throat and Audiology facilities.