New centre is close to reality (From Malvern Gazette)

New centre is close to reality

5:30pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in News By James Connell

A DREAM is nearer coming true after NHS Midlands and East approved plans to build the county’s first radiotherapy centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust can now finalise contracts for the new centre and begin building work, with the centre on scheduled to open in late 2014.

This news follows the Department of Health approving the £22.4million loan to fund the project and the three new Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups agreeing to provide additional funding.

The centre will provide radiotherapy treatment for the county’s cancer patients and means that they will no longer face long journeys out of the county for their care.

The state of the art radiotherapy facilities will also mean more effective targeting of tumours, less damage to surrounding tissue and less risk of complications.

The new radiotherapy centre will be built with space for up to five radiotherapy machines, with three in place initially.

The trust is working together with the Clinical Commissioning Groups and its strategic partner, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to ensure that the vast majority of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments will be delivered within Worcestershire.

Simon Hairsnape of NHS Worcestershire said: “The new radiotherapy centre will ensure that the vast majority of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments will be delivered within Worcestershire, which is great news for local patients.”

Lead cancer clinician Adel Makar said: “For the first time, we will have a state of the art radiotherapy centre at the heart of their community.

Paul Crawford, former patient and throat cancer survivor said: “This centre will provide treatment for generations to come by giving Worcestershire its own facility. Bring on the diggers and turn a dream into reality.”