TWO philanthropist from Herefordshire has helped cancer patients in some of the most deprived areas of England.

Clive and Sylvia Richards, who live near Bromyard, has been supporting medical charity Cobalt Health which works with the NHS to provide state-of-the art diagnostic imaging.

Cobalt says it is the leading provider of lung cancer screening, and after working in partnership with the NHS and the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity, have three new scanners to detect cancer.

The CT scanners mean Cobalt can now carry out lung cancer screening in some of the most deprived areas in Manchester, Hull and Newcastle and Gateshead.

Cobalt said during the coronavirus pandemic, lung cancer screening was paused and Cobalt worked with NHS England to support many NHS hospitals with urgent CT scans using the lung cancer screening mobile CT scanners, enabling urgent medical care to continue.

The cancer charity has also supported the NHS Nightingale Hospitals with the scanners funded by the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity.

Peter Sharpe, Cobalt chief executive, said: “Not only has the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity enabled Cobalt to work with the NHS in the lung cancer screening programme, which will save many lives, we have also been able to support up to 1,000 patients each week at hospitals across England, enabling patients to have their urgent CT scans outside the hospital during the pandemic.

"We are indebted for their generosity.”

Clive Richards CBE, who lives in Ullingwick, added: “I and my trustees are delighted to support Cobalt in its major project of lung cancer screening.

"Most of us are only too aware that early stage recognition is a major factor in combatting this dreadful disease. We are equally pleased to have supported the NHS during this pandemic.

"We will continue to invest in this important project alongside Cobalt.”