A charity has launched an innovative smartphone app to help cancer patients be guided through their treatment.

Breast Cancer Kent (BCK), based at Maidstone Hospital, provided funding after receiving more than £5,000 from Hilary Steel and Sue Smith of Business Legacy.

Patient Journey App designed the technology.

Dr Russell Burcombe, 51, from Tunbridge Wells, a consultant clinical oncologist and trustee of BCK produced the app’s content over a year.

He said: “Instead of giving patients a suitcase full of booklets, the app provides patients with instant access to information, written by their doctors and nurses that they can rely on.

“It can be programmed to send reminders about treatment and we are trialling the function to send email questions to two senior nurses if they have concerns.”

Users can type in details about their individual situations and are shown links to further websites, contact numbers and support groups.

The launch comes as BCK raised an impressive £20,000 at its annual Leeds Castle ball and was attended by 170 people.

The next investment the organisation wants to make is in a tomosynthesis biospy kit.

This detects tiny forms of cancer not visible on standard mammograms.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Chief Executive, Miles Scott, said: “We welcome the development of the Breast Cancer Kent app.

“The app has been developed as a handy tool to allow patients to access accurate and reliable information about any treatment or diagnostic tests they may have during their breast cancer care, at a time convenient for them.”

A simulation of the technology can be viewed on a PC at tinyurl.com/patientjourneyappsim or it can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.