Building work begins on new Radiotherapy Centre at Eastbourne DGH

Cancer patients in need of radiotherapy will be treated from the Eastbourne DGH by Spring 2016 - saving a trip to Brighton or Maidstone.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jul 2015, 13:00 BST

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Rory McIntyre, Capital Project Manager, Dr Fiona McKinna, Consultant Oncologist and David Bold, Patient Representative, Sussex Cancer Network Patient Partnership Group on the site of the new Radiotherapy CentreRory McIntyre, Capital Project Manager, Dr Fiona McKinna, Consultant Oncologist and David Bold, Patient Representative, Sussex Cancer Network Patient Partnership Group on the site of the new Radiotherapy Centre
Rory McIntyre, Capital Project Manager, Dr Fiona McKinna, Consultant Oncologist and David Bold, Patient Representative, Sussex Cancer Network Patient Partnership Group on the site of the new Radiotherapy Centre

The East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, announced a new radiotherapy centre was under construction at the DGH, which will significantly reduce the need for cancer patients to travel outside the area for vital treatment.

The £15m investment, funded by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, will provide two Linacs (the linear accelerator machines used to deliver radiotherapy) within a fully equipped radiotherapy facility at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

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The radiotherapy unit will be based in the recently opened £5.7 million extension to the hospital with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust investing in enabling works to upgrade the electricity supply to the hospital to support this new development.

Eastbourne DGH, District General Hospital.Eastbourne DGH, District General Hospital.
Eastbourne DGH, District General Hospital.

Currently, most cancer care for East Sussex patients is provided at Eastbourne DGH or Conquest Hospital in Hastings, but if they need radiotherapy patients must travel as far as Brighton or Maidstone.

Dr Fiona McKinna, consultant oncologist said, “It is an exciting time to see building work commence but also great news for local cancer care. People who need radiotherapy often have to come in daily for a number of weeks. Opening a radiotherapy treatment centre in Eastbourne will make a very real, practical difference for some of our sickest patients, dramatically reducing the time they spend travelling at this difficult time.”

Darren Grayson, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust CEO said, “It is excellent news that we will soon be able to provide this vital service at Eastbourne District General Hospital. The development of this new unit will bring radiotherapy into East Sussex for the very first time.

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“Almost half of all people with cancer have radiotherapy as part of their treatment plan and patients in our area will benefit from this state-of-the-art development, which is closer to where they live.

“It is also further evidence of our continued investment in Eastbourne District General Hospital and part of a major series of upgrades and reconfigurations across the hospital to ensure that we can deliver higher standards of care and treatment.”

This new centre is in addition to the new Pevensey unit which is set to open at the DGH.

Find out more here.

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