TV STAR Martin Clunes brought laughter to Dorset County Hospital as he opened a new chemotherapy unit.

The Dorset based actor officially opened the new Fortuneswell Unit alongside his dog Mary and spoke to staff and cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy to find out what the new unit means to them.

He said: “I’m delighted to be here.

“I’ve been around and met some of the users, both patients and staff, and everyone seems delighted and proud.

“When you’ve got patients raising funds for you that’s quite something.

“Having £360,000 raised through donations is pretty incredible let alone in this climate.

“It’s very exciting seeing the hospital getting better and being able to help more people.”

Half of the cost of the £650,000 unit was met by the hospital with the rest paid for by the Fortuneswell Trust, the Dorset Health Trust, the Wessex Cancer Trust and the Hospital League of Friends.

Sam Fuller, 82, survived acute myeloid leukaemia in the former Dorchester hospital and has been helping the Fortuneswell Trust raise funds as a musician. He said: “Fifteen years ago I was let out of the hospital for the afternoon and I went in the borough gardens and said ‘if ever I was privileged to survive I would organise something with my fellow musicians’.

“It’s been an amazing journey. This is a proud day and a very happy day.”

In the new unit, the old doctor’s area has been refurbished with a new extension added.

It has five consulting rooms, two treatment rooms, a small kitchen and sluice, a nurse’s office, a much larger reception and waiting area and a quiet room for sensitive meetings.

Rose Amey is the Macmillan oncology social worker in the unit.

She said: “My role is to sort out the non-medical issues and some of the anxieties about life outside the hospital including employment, death and housing.

“And it’s much easier to do that here.

In the new unit Mrs Amey can see people without having to wait until the end of treatment and can hold drop-in clinics each day.

“When you are told about having cancer you are worried about having the disease and this makes it a holistic service.”

The Fortuneswell Unit provides a broad range of services. The unit sees all Haematology and Oncology Outpatients in dedicated clinic rooms.

Patients requiring oral or intravenous administration of cytotoxic drugs (chemotherapy) as day patients are also treated within the unit on chairs in a dedicated nine-chaired area.

Patients also attend for many other treatments and advice.