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Welcome for the new Cancer Centre
By Eilish Martin, 10/25/2002 2:59:12 PM
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UCF has campaigned for the new Regional Cancer Centre for many years ? and was understandably delighted when the Executive gave the go-ahead for the £58m project.
Indeed a day after approval was announced, building work on the centre at Belfast City Hospital got underway. The complex is due to open in 2005.
Arlene Spiers, UCF chief executive, said: ?The lives of many people throughout Northern Ireland will undoubtedly be saved in years to come.
?The centre will be the final piece in the jigsaw. It will be one of the leading facilities of its kind in the UK and will bring cancer services here up to the standard of many European countries and the United States.?
The centre, which has been described by Health Minister Bairbre de Brun as state-of-the-art, will have 84 beds and will house eight linear accelerators, which provide radiotherapy treatment.
The development is the final stage in a restructuring of services under which cancer units are based at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, Antrim, Craigavon and the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.
Belvoir Park Hospital in Belfast will continue to provide cancer services, but these will eventually be transferred to the new centre.
Arlene added: ?We have been concerned at delays in treatment for patients. Cancer is increasing, with 8,700 new cases diagnosed here every year. For many patients the waiting times for treatment are intolerable.
?The centre will provide the most modern therapies in a purpose-built setting. There will be much greater scope for research and there will be improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
?As well, Northern Ireland has a large number of world class cancer researchers and clinical professionals. The centre will give them the facilities to produce even better results.?
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