A Midlands daily has joined an ambitious bid to raise £2.5m to build a new breast cancer unit at its local hospital.

The Worcester News says the specialist unit is desperately needed at Worcestershire Royal Hospital because current services for patients are situated across the site in different rooms and on different floors.

The waiting area is not air-conditioned and has just 24 seats when each clinic averages 60 patients.

The Newsquest daily has teamed up with the Worcestershire Hospitals Charitable Trust to promote the bid to raise the £2.5m.

Fundraising has been kicked off in style by a group of women who have all fought breast cancer and launched a nude calendar.

Worcester News editor Kevin Ward, whose grandmother died of the disease, has become a patron of the charity.

He said: “I am very proud to be asked to be a patron of the breast unit campaign and delighted to announce that we have adopted the campaign.

“The campaign’s cry to action ‘Everybody Knows Somebody’ is poignantly accurate in my case and I’m sure that it will spur our community to support the cause to the utmost.”

The building for the unit already exists so the £2.5m would be used to refurbish and equip it with the NHS agreeing to meet future running costs.

A campaign launch message said: “Almost 500 people in Worcestershire are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.

“Anyone with suspected breast cancer faces unwanted additional stress during their visits to the Worcester hospital…..they struggle to find a parking space.

“The examinations and procedures they undergo take place in different departments and on different floors, meaning they have to dress and undress repeatedly.

“An average first consultation visit to the WRH can take four hours.”