Good news for Bay of Plenty cancer patients

17 June 2013

Good news for Bay of Plenty cancer patients

Bay of Plenty cancer patients will no longer have to travel for their radiotherapy as more cancer treatments become available in Tauranga towards the end of 2014.

BOPDHB Board Chair Sally Webb said a state-of-the-art $32 million radiotherapy facility is being built on the Tauranga Hospital campus adjacent to the current cancer centre.

“This is such good news for our cancer patients who require radiation treatment as they will get their treatment closer to home, while still benefiting from being part of the wider Midland Cancer Network.”

“We acknowledge how well the Hamilton Cancer Centre treats our patients, and the superb accommodation the Lions Cancer Lodge provides them.  In the future this facility will make it easier for our cancer patients to get their treatment closer to home.”

“This new facility has been developed by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board in partnership with Bay Radiotherapy Services Limited, and will allow us to offer a more complete cancer service to the people of our region.”

“It feels good to be bringing a new health service to our population to complement all the other new services including Cardiac Angioplasty introduced recently,” Ms Webb said.
She said it was a pity CEO Phil Cammish was on leave and unable to be part of the announcement as he had been determined in his efforts to get this extended service for the people of the Bay of Plenty.

Managing director of Bay Radiotherapy Services and Bay of Plenty clinician Mark Fraundorfer said years of planning have gone into this environmentally advanced, energy efficient radiotherapy facility.

Describing the planning that has taken place, Mr Fraundorfer said no effort has been spared to get an environmentally advanced, state-of-the-art radiotherapy facility for the people of the Bay of Plenty.

“The sun’s rays will in effect power the linear accelerators,” he said.  “Amazing progress for science.”

“Radiotherapy is an essential service for the people of the Bay of Plenty, and it’s long overdue.  Once the Centre is complete it will offer the most advanced radiotherapy equipment in New Zealand for Bay of Plenty patients, and without their having to travel to other centres.”

He said the 3-storey building will house three bunkers which will accommodate two linear accelerators enabling a continuous service.  A state-of-the-art CT scanner will be used for planning patients’ treatments, and the latest in patient planning computer software has been sourced.

“We all agreed this building would be an example of sound and innovative environmental and clinical planning.  Solar panels on the roof will provide energy for the linear accelerators, with the cooling and heating systems also solar driven.  The total complex will be energy efficient.”

“Patient parking will be fully enclosed within the building, so that patients will have the utmost ease of access and privacy.”

Mr Fraundorfer said making the building and the radiotherapy treatment as environmentally sustainable as possible, has been part of the excitement of this project for him.

“We could have just built a building.  But we wanted something that not only delivered a complete and comprehensive radiotherapy service, but was an environmental statement and a future-proofed service.”

He said the architects have worked with experts in the fields of radiotherapy and living buildings to deliver to an exacting brief.

The Radiotherapy Centre will be completed in mid-2014 and treatments will commence towards the end of 2014.

ENDS

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