Work on new cancer centre starts

Work has got under way on a multimillion state-of-the-art cancer centre, designed with patients' advice.

The new Oxford Cancer Centre will join cancer services based at the Radcliffe Infirmary, John Radcliffe Hospitals and the Churchill Hospital site.

A head and neck cancer surgery centre will be among the new facilities at the £109m development being built on the Churchill site. It will open in 2008.

The Infirmary will close in early 2007, said Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust.

Trevor Campbell Davis, chief executive of the Trust, said: "In 2007, we will move services from the 18th Century Radcliffe Infirmary in the city centre, to the 21st Century Oxford Children's Hospital and to a new wing for adult services on the John Radcliffe Hospital site."

The centre is being managed through the government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Services at the centre will include additional medical and surgical beds for cancer patients, a new radiology department, linear accelerators for radiotherapy plus 12 additional places for chemotherapy patients.

It will also house physiotherapy services, a high dependency unit, 10 operating theatres and a private patients' unit.

As well as cancer patients, these new facilities will benefit renal, transplant, chest medicine and urology patients.