7 Apr 2009
NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART REGIONAL CANCER CENTRE – THE FIRST OF ITS KIND OUTSIDE LONDON
Construction is starting on a state-of-the-art radiotherapy and cancer treatment centre – the first independent unit of its kind outside London – at Spire Portsmouth Hospital in Havant.The new centre is being constructed and will be operated by CancerPartnersUK, an independent organisation specialising in bringing the latest cancer treatments to patients around the UK. It is being built in Havant as part of a joint initiative with Spire Healthcare to provide world-class cancer treatments to patients in Hampshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.
The CancerPartnersUK centre will house the latest generation radiotherapy technologies, including Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and will complement the existing cancer services provided at Spire Portsmouth to provide a fully-integrated range of cancer treatments on one site. This is the first independent unit outside London where patients can have radiotherapy on the same site as their other cancer treatments.
Spire Portsmouth’s Hospital Director, Heather Dob says: “Cancer treatment is an important area for us. In recent months we have invested in our new CT and MRI scanners to enhance diagnosis and we also have a dedicated chemotherapy unit. With CancerPartnersUK on site, we believe we have the most comprehensive private cancer treatment service outside London. Here patients will be able to have diagnostics, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy all in one location in a comfortable, clean environment, with direct access to leading cancer specialists in the area.
CancerPartnersUK was set up by a group of cancer experts to improve the availability of high-quality cancer treatment outside London. Professor Karol Sikora, a leading cancer specialist and Medical Director of CancerPartnersUK said, “With one in three people now affected by cancer there is a huge demand for treatment. In particular there is a national shortage of radiotherapy services* which means that patients often have to wait longer or travel further than is acceptable.”
With the first patients at Spire Portsmouth Hospital’s new centre expected from August 2009, Professor Sikora added: “This new centre will increase local capacity for radiotherapy and the benefits will be far-reaching. All Spire Hospitals’ patients can have their treatment on site, but we will also offer access to patients who are receiving treatment elsewhere. This will inevitably free up capacity in other regional centres.”
Said Heather, “We have consulted with many of the oncologists and cancer specialists working in both the private sector and NHS and we are excited that we are contributing to a significant improvement in cancer care across the region.”
CancerPartnersUK’s new centre is backed by Apposite Capital, a leading investment firm exclusively focused on healthcare. In spite of the economic downturn, the company has remained focused on its objective of enhancing cancer services around the UK, with Portsmouth as the flagship for similar centres over the next two years.
Photo L to r: Rupert Cockcroft, CEO, CancerPartnersUK, Heather Dob, Hospital Director, Spire Portsmouth Hospital, Karol Sikora, Medical Director, CancerPartnersUK
*National Cancer Strategy and the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) and supported by data from the Swedish Karolinska Institute.
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