A NEW piece of equipment has been bought for cancer patients at Kidderminster Hospital, using a £10,000 donation from a group of freemasons.

The money from Worcestershire Provincial Lodge’s benevolence fund takes the total raised for the Millbrook Suite past £200,000.

It will pay for a pneumatic air vent, to transport blood samples quickly from clinics to haemotology.

The lodge’s charity steward, John McGann, suggested the cash should go to the Millbrook, as his daughter, Deborah, was recently treated there for breast cancer.

He said: “The support she received was fantastic and I think it’s so important to support the service they give.

“It’s still very raw for us but I am so grateful for what they did. When the chance came up to bid for this money I thought we should give it a go.”

The Millbrook was chosen to receive the donation after an application was put forward to the Provincial Grand Lodge’s national headquarters in London.

Frank Spencer, provincial grand master for Worcestershire, said: “The freemasons have always made donations like this but it’s not until now that we have publicised it.

“The money comes from within the membership, through events like social functions, and we feel it is important to support good causes such as this.”

The Millbrook Suite Appeal, run by The Shuttle and the hospital’s League of Friends, reached its £150,000 target at New Year but money is still flooding in.

It is has funded the refurbishment of the unit, which is due to reopen on Monday.

The pneumatic air vent is a sealed chute that will send samples between departments.

League of Friends chairman, David Wase, said: “We’re very grateful for this generous donation - it’s the icing on the cake after what has already been raised.

“It will help the staff give a quicker service for patients.”