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Cancer patients in Peterborough get £3m boost
CANCER patients in Peterborough will be able to receive treatment in the city instead of travelling miles across the county, thanks to the purchase of new multi-million pound equipment.
CANCER patients in Peterborough will be able to receive treatment in the city instead of travelling miles across the county, thanks to the purchase of new multi-million pound equipment.New 3 million radiotherapy equipment will be available to use from February next year at Peterborough City Hospital, which is being built in on the site of the current Edith Cavell Hospital at Bretton.
The purchase will mean city residents no longer have to make lengthy trips to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for treatment.
The investment means that two linear accelerators will be running at the hospital, providing cancer care for more than 800 patients every year.
The accelerators will be able to give patients radiotherapy treatment to help treat a variety of cancers.
However, some patients with certain forms of cancer may still have to travel to Cambridge.
Nik Patten, chief executive of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This is excellent news for Peterborough and for all the patients who need this treatment to help them fight cancer.
"Aside from the provision of a new hospital for the city this is the most exciting health care news for many years and will provide enormous benefits to our patients who need this essential treatment.
"The trust is committed to continually improving patient care in Peterborough.
"Investments in new technology and services are critical for the city and the new facilities at the City Hospital have helped to make the provision of radiotherapy a reality."
It is hoped that the installation of the vital equipment will begin in November this year and, following staff training and rigorous testing, the first patients will receive the treatment in February next year.
Dr Catherine Jephcott, consultant clinical oncologist, said: "Patients requiring treatment can face about six or seven weeks of radiotherapy, or up to 39 single trips to receive treatment.
"Patients have always had to travel to Cambridge or other hospitals for their treatment but in the future this lengthy and often difficult journey will not have to be undertaken by most people.
"This will remove a lot of the stress and reduce the time needed to have the treatment.
"The radiotherapy department is delighted that most of our patients will be able to receive this treatment locally in a fantastic new hospital and we are looking forward to making this a reality."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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