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22 September 2016
A new £160 million Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital, which has been designed by patients for patients, opens on Monday 26 September.
The first outpatient clinics will be held in the new building next week with chemotherapy treatment starting on Monday 3 October and radiotherapy treatment due to start on 7 November, as part of a phased opening.
Dr Majid Kazmi, Clinical Director of Cancer Services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says:
It will be fantastic to welcome the first patients to our new Cancer Centre. Monday is the culmination of more than 10 years of planning and working in partnership with our patients to create a building to transform cancer care.
Alastair Gourlay, Cancer Centre Project Director and Director of Asset Management, Essentia at Guy’s and St Thomas’, adds:
There’s a real sense of realising the Trust’s vision of creating ‘a hospital that doesn’t feel like a hospital.'
The new Cancer Centre at Guy’s brings together most treatment under one roof – previously cancer care was provided in 13 different locations in eight different buildings on the St Thomas’ and Guy’s sites.
It is the first cancer centre in Europe to provide radiotherapy treatment above ground level after patients said this would make a huge difference to them.
Diana Crawshaw, who chairs the Patient Reference Group which has shaped the new Cancer Centre, says:
Patients have been consulted at every stage and no decision has been made without us. Our views have been welcomed, listened to and acted on. Locating radiotherapy treatment above ground in response to patient feedback is just one of many examples.
Anne Rainsberry, Regional Director NHS England (London region), explains:
Cancer survivors are better placed than anyone to advise on how the NHS can deliver the best care and treatment to people in similar situations to the ones they have faced. The new Cancer Centre at Guy’s demonstrates collaboration with patients and where the future of NHS care lies.
The new Cancer Centre at Guy’s also brings together treatment and research in an Innovation Hub.
Professor Peter Parker, Head of the Division of Cancer Studies at King's College London, says:
Expanding our Experimental Medicine Programme will enable us to grow our capabilities in designing and conducting clinical trials for new treatments.
Our vision is for the Innovation Hub to cross-fertilise ideas between researchers and clinicians so that potentially impactful discoveries can be advanced rapidly and successful approaches for one cancer type can be tested quickly in others.
Professor Sir Robert Lechler, Executive Director of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre and Vice Principal (Health) of King’s College London, adds:
Having clinicians and researchers working side by side will allow us to speed up the journey from discoveries in our laboratories and early clinical trials right through to innovative new treatments and therapies in our clinics. By doing this, we will continue to improve the physical and mental health outcomes and experience of cancer care for our patients.
Largely funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the Cancer Centre at Guy’s was made possible by a grant of £25 million from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and a £15 million grant awarded to King’s College London from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (managed by the Higher Education Funding Council) for the Innovation Hub.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity also provided a grant of £1.7 million for an arts programme – no NHS funds have been spent on this aspect of the project.
Philanthropists have so far donated £6 million to the new Cancer Centre, including £2 million from Dimbleby Cancer Care. Discussions with other potential donors will continue, to help ensure we can provide the best possible facilities for patients. In addition, more than 3,000 generous patients, families, supporters and staff have together raised an incredible £1.1million – by donating, running, cycling, climbing, abseiling, baking and dancing – to make the Cancer Centre a reality.
Kieron Boyle, Chief Executive of Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, says:
The opening of the landmark Cancer Centre at Guy’s represents a huge leap in the journey to transform cancer treatment, care and research here at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals.
Having cancer is something one in two of us will face at some point in our lifetime. Our support, and that of generous donations, has enabled the Cancer Centre to be equipped with the very latest in technology, funded a varied and inspiring arts programme, and brought most cancer services under one roof.
