The Royal Marsden has submitted a planning application for a new, state-of-the-art £70 million cancer facility in Sutton.

Despite its reputation as world-leading centre of cancer research and treatment, some of the hospital's buildings date back to the 1960's and are in need of refurbishment.

The Oak Cancer Cetnre, made possible by the Royal Marsden's charity fundraising, will replace some of the hospital's existing features with modern infrastructure, bringing together 330 researchers currently dispersed across the site.

Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Cally Palmer CBE, said: “We are delighted to present our final proposals for The Royal Marsden’s new Oak Cancer Centre in Sutton.

"The scheme has been carefully developed over a number of years with input from the local community, oncology professionals, patient groups and the London Borough of Sutton.

"The Oak Cancer Centre will enable us to help local people with cancer for decades to come, and to discover breakthroughs that will benefit patients not just in and around Sutton but throughout the UK and around the world.”

"The full planning application has been submitted to Sutton Council. Councillors will be making their decision on the planning application in the coming months."

A new rapid diagnostic centre will use the latest technology to provide earlier and faster diagnosis for more people, helping to save lives by diagnosing cancer earlier when treatment is more likely to be successful.

A Medical Day Unit will offer patients peace and quiet while receiving chemotherapy, and patients visiting the new outpatients department will be able to undergo blood tests, see their consultant and collect a prescription all on the same floor.

By improving and expanding the centre for urgent care, patients becoming acutely unwell will have a state-of-the art facility where they can be assessed and treated without needing to be sent to a local A&E department.

The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education.

Today, together with its academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), it is the largest and most comprehensive cancer centre in Europe seeing and treating over 50,000 NHS and private patients every year.