A CANCER nurse specialist has called on the public to help save a struggling charity that could face risk of closing.

Wessex Cancer Trust sent out a plea on Tuesday due to financial issues that pummelled the service into its first crisis.

How you can help save Wessex Cancer Trust in charity's £600,000 appeal

'This would be a heartbreaking end': Cancer charity needs £600,000 in two months to prevent closure

The charity needs to raise £600,000 by January 31 2020 or they will no longer be able to support people living with cancer.

Donna Sharland, a clinical nurse specialist in gullet and stomach cancer at University Hospital Southampton, is now urging people to help raise the money as closure of the charity could “pose huge implications for hospital teams”.

She said: “The Wessex Cancer Trust provides local support that cannot be accessed in hospitals. We don’t provide access to counselling for people with cancer.

“If it closed, it would pose huge implications for hospital teams. We are seeing an increasing number of young patients with young families who can get this type of support only from WST.”

She has referred some of her patients to the charity before, with the aim for them to access support during or after a cancer diagnosis.

Donna added: “We will get more calls, and although we are more than happy to answer these calls, it can take patients back to a really bad place. Once they walk through the hospital door, they feel like a cancer patient again, so this emotional support can only be provided by the charity.

“If that level of support wasn’t available, it is likely they would end up not being able to cope so well. They are amazing at what they do and it is not just patients they support but family too.”

To donate, text SAVEWESSEX to 70085 or visit justgiving.com/campaign/savewessexcancertrust.