PLANS for a £24million cancer unit at Colchester General Hospital have come under fire.

Hospital governors voiced concerns about the radiotherapy centre at a meeting yesterday.

Dr Mark Aitken, a public governor for the hospital trust, said a report to the joint governors and board of directors’ meeting was atrocious.

He said: “For us to form a decision on the proposals on the basis of this 19-page document is quite honestly unacceptable.

“The governors have not been involved in any stage of this.

“What is being presented is a minimalist approach to development.

“By being minimilastic, you are restricting the opportunity for Colchester to have a state-of-the-art cancer centre.”

Governors heard the trust had considered three locations for the radiotherapy centre – two between the main hospital building and Gainsborough Wing, and a third on the late-duty staff car park.

Bosses want it to be built next to the main building, as it would link better to existing wards.

Dr Aitken claimed the location would be intimidating for patients, as they would be faced with a blank wall. He said: “I should think it will give the impession of more of an air raid shelter or mausoleum.”

He also said the plans would leave the hospital with four fewer beds than are provided at Essex County Hospital, where radiotherapy is currently based.

The new centre is to be built after the hospital was picked to become one of two treatment bases in the county.

Sally Irvine, trust chairman, said: “I hope everyone feels excited about it.

“We are building a centre of excellence on this site which is long overdue and much needed by the staff as well as the patients.”