A NURSE is planning to scale the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in a day to raise money for a piece of cancer-fighting kit at her hospital.

Philippa Dooher, who works at St Margaret's Hospital, Epping, hopes to raise £1,000 in sponsorship towards a new radiotherapy machine for the breast cancer patients treated there by scaling Ben Nevis in Scotland, Snowdon in Wales and Scafell Pike in Cumbria, all within 24 hours.

Women who are at the hospital's breast unit currently have to travel to the North Middlesex Hospital more than 10 miles away in Edmonton, for up to 30 uncomfortable radiotherapy sessions after their tumours are removed.

Mrs Dooher, who lives in Graylands, Theydon Bois, said: “It's very tiring to drive to the North Middlesex and sometimes women don't like to drive after their operations.

“The treatment only lasts for about 10 minutes, but they have to go all the way there and park and come home again.”

If she raises enough to buy the new machine, patients will be able to have radiotherapy immediately after being operated on at Princess Alexander Hospital, Harlow.

“It will be straight into the wound and will last for 25 minutes, rather than 25 to 30 visits to the North Middlesex,” she added.

This will not be the first time the 48-year-old has put her hiking boots on for her patients.

She has walked along the Great Wall of China and trekked through the jungle in Thailand to help fund the latest cancer drugs for the breast unit.

“In Thailand, they got us lost, but the Great Wall of China was amazing,” she said. “We went to all the parts that the tourists miss and stayed on farms and in people's homes."

Her latest trek will last 24 hours, from April 29 to 30.

“It's going to be quite a challenge because it's quite steep and because there's going to be so little sleep for 24 hours,” she said.

To sponsor Mrs Dooher, visit www.justgiving.com and search for Philippa Dooher.