Impressive cancer care centre is jewel in the health service crown

Sep 28 2009 by Helen Rae, The Journal

As a world-leading centre for cancer patients opens in the North East, health correspondent Helen Rae gets an exclusive look around.

FROM the outside its impressive entrance looks more like a exclusive hotel than a life-saving centre.

Inside people are greeted by friendly staff who are keen to point them in the right direction.

But this is the new Northern Centre for Cancer Care (NCCC) at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.

It is one of the largest cancer centres in the country, providing high quality treatment and personal care for those suffering from the potentially-fatal condition.

It is the only centre in the UK with Primatom units, new machines which allow medical staff to treat previously inoperable tumours.

The centre also offers other specialist services including CHART (Continuous, Hyper-fractionated, Accelerated Radiotherapy Treatment) for some lung cancers and is a leading centre for the treatment of thyroid, paediatric and rare skin cancers.

Sir Len Fenwick, chief executive of Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Northern Centre for Cancer Care is the jewel in the crown. It is modern and contemporary, but we believe it has the ambiance, environment and feeling of care right throughout.”

The centre has been built as part of a £230m revamp of patient care across the city and earlier this year all the cancer treatment services were relocated from Newcastle General Hospital to the NCCC.

It has 16 experienced multi-disciplinary teams with doctors, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, radiographers, clinical nurse specialists, nursing staff, admin and clerical staff. Over half the bedrooms at the centre are single occupancy with en suite facilities.

With state-of-the-art buildings and access to the very latest technology it won the Building Better Healthcare Award for Best Hospital Design.