CANCER sufferers will be able to get faster access to the latest treatments in Hampshire as part of a multi-million-pound initiative.

The government unveiled plans today to build an £11m network of cancer research groups across the UK, including one in Southampton.

It means the city will be able to offer patients who have failed to respond to conventional treatments the chance to take part in early clinical trials of the newest ones.

The cash will be used to support existing facilities and projects.

A spokeswoman for Southamp-ton University Hospitals NHS Trust said: "There is a huge amount of research going into cancer treatment in Southampton at the moment.

"These financial research projects and programmes do need financial support to continue.

"There's a new purpose-built centre about to open at the site of the general hospital and this will certainly support some of the projects being conducted there."

The network will receive £11.16m over five years. The other cities to benefit are Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford, Newcastle and London.

Currently just ten per cent of potential candidates for experimental chemotherapy are entered into early clinical trials.

Professor Gordon McVie, director general of The Cancer Research Campaign, said: "We very much welcome the new investment in our hospitals.

"Together with our colleagues at Imperial Cancer, the Campaign has taken over 90 new drugs into the clinic.

"This boost to the network should allow Cancer Research UK to get new treatments to patients even faster."