FUNDRAISING for the new Cancer Centre at Milton Keynes University Hospital goes on as the countdown to its opening continues, NHS Trust chair Simon Lloyd has told business leaders.
The hospital is working to raise £2.5 million on top of government investment and a £2 million donation from cancer charity Macmillan.
Mr Lloyd stressed his ambition for the hospital to become a recognised centre of excellence for cancer services in the UK. The opening of the new unit will bring all oncology services apart from breast screening under one roof and will create a new 24-bed oncology ward.
Around 4,000 Milton Keynes residents are diagnosed with the disease each year.
Mr Lloyd told a briefing to members of Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership: “So many of our patients are being sent further afield for treatment as our current cancer unit is crowded, with many oncology resources located within different parts of the building.
“The new Cancer Centre will also mean that all oncology staff will be working together, which will improve efficiency and working conditions.”
The number of patients is rising as the borough’s population increases. Outpatient appointments increased by eight per cent last year and around 90,000 people were treated at the hospital’s A&E. However, Mr Lloyd said, the opening of the cancer centre shows that the hospital is making great strides to ensure that it can provide a high level of service on which patients can rely.
“The NHS budget will only stretch so far but it is vital that we continue to fundraise to ensure that we create the best experience that we possibly can for cancer patients who are treated at Milton Keynes Hospital.”
Mr Lloyd was speaking at the hospital’s Academic Centre to a breakfast briefing organised by Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership.
