Hospital gets £100m cancer centre

The centre will save patients having to travel to Bristol for treatment

A £100m deal has been agreed to build a new cancer centre at Taunton's Musgrove Park hospital.

The new facilities will save patients in Somerset having to travel to Bristol for treatment.

£12m will be spent on construction and £10m on specialist equipment. The total cost over the 30 years of the Private Finance Initiative deal will be £100m.

Building work is due to start in January and the centre is scheduled to open in 2009.

The new centre will house radiotherapy and inpatient oncology facilities, an expanded day case chemotherapy suite and an outpatient clinic.

'Long overdue'

Lead Clinician for Cancer Services at Musgrove Park, Dr. Simon Davies said: "The availability of local radiotherapy services and Musgrove Park based consultant oncologists will substantially improve the service for cancer patients from Somerset."

Former cancer patient, Richard Payne, said: "For me, the worst thing apart from having cancer and the associated chemotherapy was the travel to and from Bristol.

"Having to travel 105 miles a day whilst under the effects of the chemo was extremely difficult and distressing. This was expensive and physically and emotionally draining.

"Somerset really needs this new centre and it is long overdue."