A cancer-care clinic is planning to open its first out-reach unit to cater for a growing demand from people in Craven.

Manorlands, the Sue Ryder Home at Oxenhope, near Keighley is looking to locate the new day therapy service in the Skipton area.

It would be designed to serve people living in the wider Skipton area and in the South Craven villages, such as Cross Hills and Glusburn.

Manorlands hospice is caring for an increased number of patients from the Craven area and, in 2004, a quarter of all patients came from Skipton and surrounding areas.

More than 160 were looked after in the in-patients unit, day therapy unit or by the specialist palliative nurse who visits people in their own homes. Patients' relatives and friends were also offered support or counselling by the team at the hospice. Hospice manager Sue Hess said: "We work in partnership with Macmillan to provide a free service for everyone that needs specialist care in the area. We realise we are not on the doorstep of a lot of people in Craven but we are the nearest hospice service for many. We are aiming to make our specialist care more accessible for more people and are looking at expanding our day therapy service, with plans for a satellite unit opening in Craven." It would offer the same services as the day unit at Manorlands, including symptom control, craft activities and a service for carers.

Ideally suited to the service would be 90-year-old Jim Guy, an ex-serviceman from Steeton, who has Motor Neurone Disease and has been attending the day unit at Manorlands since January. It would be easier for Mr Guy to reach a centre in Skipton than in Oxenhope.

He said: "I come here every Monday and enjoy spending time with the other patients. I don't have family near by so it's a welcome break in the week for me. The doctors monitor my symptoms and make sure I'm comfortable and I'm glad that there is somewhere like this for me to come."

Manorlands has expert medical, social work and therapy staff that care for people in the hospice as well as a team that visit people in their own homes.