A recent ‘topping out’ ceremony at a ‘state-of-the-art’ cancer care facility being constructed at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford was attended by representatives from Prime, VINCI Building, operator, GenesisCare, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, and Assura.
Scheduled to open early next year, the new facility will, the major project players say, ‘offer highly advanced oncology treatments’, and access to the latest treatment options – including highly targeted radiotherapy using an MR linac, and Theranostics – ‘an innovative and personalised treatment that combines diagnostic imaging and radionuclide therapy to seek and destroy advanced cancers without damaging healthy tissue’. As well as offering advanced cancer treatments to private patients, GenesisCare and the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust will partner to offer some NHS patients access to technology not currently available on the NHS.
Richard Powell, director of Construction Strategy at Prime, said: “This project has been a testament to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated team, committed to constructing a world-class facility that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families. The collaborative approach with our construction delivery partner has ensured that the volatility we have seen in the construction market has been managed effectively to avoid disrupting the delivery of this much-needed facility.”
Alastair Barlow, senior development manager at Assura, said: “The new building is a prime example of what can be achieved when organisations work together to provide state-of-the-art medical facilities. This project will bring a major improvements to cancer care and treatment, for both NHS and private patients within the south-east, and we are very excited to see the building continue to take shape.”
Louise Stead, the Trust’s CEO, added: The partnership with GenesisCare via the establishment of the new centre is a further step forward in our ambition to provide patients with the best care possible. Alongside access to world-class technology. the facility will enable our team to establish new dedicated training programmes that will expand the hospital’s expertise among a wider number of clinicians.”
With the topping out phase completed, the focus now shifts towards the interior construction, installation of advanced medical equipment, and final preparations for the grand opening scheduled for early 2024.
