Patients with skin cancer are being treated quicker thanks to a new £720,000 dermatology clinic at Oxford's Churchill Hospital.

Members of staff at the centre, from left, Sarah Pennington, Jo Boakes, Sophie Anaclet, Lizel Villasoto, Helen Hobbs, Katherine Welsh, and Richard Turner

The building, which was officially opened on Tuesday, will mean more surgical patients can be given their operations just hours after their first appointment with a consultant -- cutting waiting times and speeding up care.

The Churchill's dermatology clinic started its one-stop clinic for suspected cancer cases last year, but with only three theatres, did not have enough space to treat the average 15 patients at each clinic who need surgery.

The new development has a third more room, with four theatres and eight consulting rooms, instead of six.

Sarah Pennington, head nurse in the dermatology department, said: "We can now see 25 per cent more patients because we have more theatres.

"At the moment we see about 60 patients in the morning, and if they need surgery they can have it done on the same day. Until now we've had to turn away three or four because we can't fit them all in.

"Most patients seem to love the new building"