A RETIRED housekeeper has left £500,000 to benefit the sick.

Generous Ethel Moverley left the money to be shared between Scarborough General Hospital and St Catherine's Hospice.

The news comes just days after The Northern Echo revealed a million-pound bequest to the South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust by an anonymous former female patient.

The latest six-figure legacy was a reward from Miss Moverley, of Queen Margaret's Road, Scarborough, who died last year, aged 75.

Her brother, Ted Moverley, of Holbeck Road in the town, said: "I knew she was leaving them all this money and I am happy that she did.

"She had been in hospital a few times over the last ten years before her death and felt very grateful for the care she received.

"She split the money with the hospice because she thought it was a good cause, particularly as our mother, who was also called Ethel, died of cancer."

Miss Moverley had been left the money by relatives and by a doctor called Alex Muschamp.

"The doctor had been married to her sister and Ethel later acted as a housekeeper to him for a long time," said Mr Moverley.

The hospital has yet to decide how the money will be spent. Liz Parker, chief nurse with the Scarborough area NHS trust, said: "This is a significant amount of money which will be spent on local health care and it will definitely make an impact."

A hospital spokesperson said: "We are enormously grateful and delighted with the sum of money.

"We will look at the best way to spend it to gain the maximum benefit for the maximum number of people."

The hospice plans to use a share of its bequest to help towards a £5m hospice due to be built at Throxenby, near Scarborough.

Martin Johnson, chairman of the trustees at the hospice, said: "It is wonderful to receive such a large amount of money out of the blue. It will provide a great boost to our fundraising aimed at raising money to build our new hospice."