DISTRICT and Marie Curie nurses in Darlington will soon be able to bring pain relief to cancer patients thanks to an out-of-hours initiative.

New protocols and training are being developed that will allow nurses to administer a variety of drugs without having to call out a doctor.

The initiative has been vetted by doctors, pharmacists, senior nurses and Darlington Primary Care Trust chiefs.

The scheme has been developed by St Teresa's Hospice and the trust over the past three years.