13.08.12
Cancer services relocated to Colchester General Hospital
A new £25m radiotherapy centre has been approved, with cancer services to be relocated in Essex.
The centre will be located at Colchester General Hospital, replacing the current centre at Essex County Hospital. Construction will begin this month and it is due to be completed in 2013, with the first patients to be treated in early 2014.
Relocating the services will improve operational efficiency and patient care, Colchester Hospital University NHS FT has said.
The centre will include three new linear accelerators, an orthovoltage unit, brachytherapy unit and a CT scanner to identify the exact location of cancer within the body. Other services will also be transferred to Colchester, including inpatient beds.
Dr Gordon Coutts, chief executive of Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is fantastic news for the Trust but particularly for the adult population of north east and mid Essex for whom we provide radiotherapy services.
“The radiotherapy department at Essex County Hospital continues to provide an outstanding service but it has long been this organisation’s plan to centralise cancer services on the site of Colchester General Hospital.
“We will be able to put in the most up-to-date machines and provide a quality service in a first-class environment for patients and carers.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]