First patients for cancer centre
The first set of patients are now being treated in a new cancer centre on Leeside.
The Cork Cancer Centre is part of Bon Secours’ €77 million expansion and will offer patients, what the hospital says, is the most technologically advanced radiotherapy services in the south of Ireland.
It features a state-of-the-art oncology department and an innovative onsite Pharmacy Compounding Unit, which enables preparation of specifically-tailored chemotherapy for individual patients. 50 new jobs have also been created with the opening of the Cork Cancer Centre.
In partnership with UPMC, a US-based academic medical centre affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, the centre will provide integrated cancer care, including rapid screening, timely diagnosis and advanced treatment. It’s part of an overall development of the Bon Secours Cork Hospital that includes 81 private rooms, four additional operating theatres, a new 23 bed day infusion ward and a new critical care unit.
The new radiotherapy services will be led by radiation oncologist Paul Kelly.
Dr Kelly said: “It’s a real honour for me as a radiation oncologist to offer state-of-the-art radiotherapy including stereotactic technology to patients in the region for the first time.
“Providing access to care in a timely manner with the support of the world-leading experience and quality assurance of UPMC is a very exciting opportunity.”
Bill Maher, Group CEO of the Bon Secours Health System, said: “Our new state-of-the-art Bon Secours Cork Cancer Centre offers best-practice, technologically-advanced radiotherapy services, as part of our joint-venture with UPMC, which were previously unavailable to patients in the region. Complementing our established medical and surgical oncology services, this development greatly enhances our capacity to provide a world-class cancer service to patients in need of advanced medicine in this area.
“The opening of this new centre, which is already caring for its first patients, is a proud day for Cork and marks an important milestone in the €77 million development of the healthcare services we are providing to patients in the Munster region.”