WORCESTERSHIRE’S long-awaited first-ever oncology centre has opened its doors to patients.

The new £22.5 million centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital welcomed its first patients today, 14 months after building work began.

The new centre will mean cancer patients and their families from the county will no longer face long daily trips to Coventry, Cheltenham or Wolverhampton for radiotherapy treatment but instead can stay much closer to their homes.

Oncology Centre project director with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Jane Schofield said yesterday’s opening was the culmination of four years hard work.

“Everyone who has been involved in the project since the county’s cancer strategy was signed off four years ago is absolutely thrilled to have reached this day,” she said.

“The focus all along has been on developing and delivering a world class service to our patients.

“The focus over the next few weeks will be on gradually building up the service to make sure everything is spot on.

“The new team of consultant oncologists, clinical physics staff, radiotherapy staff and associated nursing and admin staff have been recruited from across the country and they are passionate about establishing the service and enhancing the care for our patients.

“It’s a fantastic team.”

Patient representative with the acute trust Paul Crawford, himself a former cancer patient who had to travel to Cheltenham for radiotherapy when he was being treated for his disease, has also welcomed the opening.

“The centre is future proofed to last 20 to 30 years,” he said. “Our generation and further generations to come will benefit from this facility.

“This will push Worcestershire into the top league for the fight against this most horrible disease and it is on our doorstep.”

The centre, which was developed in partnership with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, already has three linear accelerator machines ready to deliver treatment with space for two more in the future.

Plans to move a chemotherapy suite, clinics and an acute oncology emergency assessment bay from the Royal to the new centre have also been given the go-ahead. It is expected the move will be complete by spring 2016.