Media Release
Date: 7 March 2020
RUH granted planning permission for new Dyson Cancer Centre
The Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath NHS Foundation Trust has been granted full planning permission for construction of the new Dyson Cancer Centre.
James Scott, RUH Chief Executive said: "On behalf of the community we serve, we're delighted to reach this significant milestone. Our new world-class Centre will help transform the care we provide for patients, families and carers and provide a nurturing and therapeutic environment, reducing stress and anxiety and promoting health.
"It's taken a huge amount of planning and preparation, working with staff and patients and our partners to get to this point."
Scheduled to open for patients in 2023, the new Centre will be located next to the main entrance of the RUH and will bring the majority of the RUH's cancer services, including research teams, under one roof.
Caroline Gilleece, RUH Matron and Cancer Lead Nurse said: "We are really excited by what the future holds. This will be more than just a building, it will be a therapeutic environment centred on patient care and experience, which will also provide a fantastic place to work, so we can retain our dedicated staff and attract the very best to join us."
Cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support is investing £1.5million to create a new patient support centre called the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub which will be at the heart of the Dyson Cancer Centre.
Maggie Crowe, Macmillan Partnership Manager said: "I'm thrilled to hear we are now are one step closer to opening the doors of our new purpose-built Macmillan Wellbeing Hub. It will be a sanctuary for patients and their families inside the Dyson Cancer Centre. It will offer vital support as they go through treatment including counselling, a complementary therapy suite and overnight accommodation so that families can stay close to their loved ones."
Rhyannon Boyd, Head of Fundraising, The Forever Friends Appeal said: "We are delighted that the planning has been approved. It's truly special in its design and facilities and we would like to take this opportunity to thank people for showing their support for our RUH Cancer Care Campaign."
Work will start on site in 2020 to demolish the old Therapies block, clearing the way for construction to start on the new Dyson Cancer Centre in early 2021. The Centre will mark the final phase of the RUH's current Fit for the Future estates redevelopment plan, to transform the northern part of the hospital site.
In the last decade the RUH has invested heavily in its estate and infrastructure and delivered a range of new facilities, including the award winning Dyson Neonatal Care Unit, a new pharmacy at the heart of the hospital and the recent RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre.
Further demolition and landscaping work to create a 'green heart', a purpose designed garden area for the hospital, will take place once the Dyson Cancer Centre is open.