Her Majesty the Queen officially opened the Dyson Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) NHS Foundation Trust today (Tuesday 3 September). Patients, staff, supporters and guests from the wider community were on hand to mark the occasion.
Her Majesty was given a guided tour of the new purpose-built centre, which brings together many of the RUH’s cancer services under one roof, including the RUH’s oncology, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services, a 22-bed inpatient ward, a dedicated pharmacy, research team and nuclear medicine and physics teams.
The building is designed around a land, water and sky theme, making use of natural light and the work of local artists and designers to create a place where excellent clinical care is matched by a soothing, healing environment.
The Queen met with staff and patients in the Medlock Day Care Unit, which provides specialist non-surgical treatments for people with cancer, including chemotherapy and other anti-cancer treatments.
The Queen visited the William Budd inpatient ward, and spent time in the special courtyard space which was created to allow the hospital’s most vulnerable patients the opportunity to spend time outdoors.
Her Majesty also visited the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub, which offers a welcoming space for patients and families, as well as a range of services to support people and their loved ones to live well with cancer.
The Queen was hosted on the day by RUH Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks, who said: “It’s been a real pleasure to welcome Her Majesty the Queen to the RUH today. The Dyson Cancer Centre is a wonderful building which supports us to provide the highest quality of cancer care for our community.”
Before leaving the Dyson Cancer Centre, Her Majesty unveiled a plaque to commemorate the day and was presented with a posy by a pupil at a local school whose father is a consultant oncologist within the centre.
Following the plaque unveiling Her Majesty said: “Can I congratulate all of you on this wonderful centre. I’ve had a brief tour around and everybody I’ve met – whether it’s the patients, the families or the nursing staff and the helpers – all seem to be over the moon about it.
“It’s got a very welcoming atmosphere and you can see that it actually raises people’s spirits in a very difficult time. So, congratulations to you all… it is very special so thank you very much for asking me to open it.”
The new centre sees around 350 patients a day, and is backed by over £40m in government funding as part of the New Hospital Programme. A spokesperson for NHS England said: “We’re delighted that today the Dyson Cancer Centre has been officially opened. This centre is crucial for the people of the South West and is one of the largest cancer centres in the region.
“It’s a huge success for the Trust, the New Hospital Programme and everyone involved in enabling the centre to be able to provide the highest quality care and experience for patients and their loved ones.”
The Dyson Cancer Centre was also supported by an additional £10m fundraising campaign from RUHX, the hospital’s official charity, including a £4m donation from the James Dyson Foundation and £1m by the Medlock Charitable Trust.
Rhyannon Boyd, Head of RUHX said:” We are so proud of and grateful to all of the 11,000 wonderful supporters who helped create this transformational new centre for their community.”
The Macmillan Wellbeing Hub was also supported by a £1.5m donation from Macmillan Cancer Support. Richard Pugh, Macmillan Head of Partnerships attended the opening and said: “We’re so pleased to be a part of the state-of-the-art Dyson Cancer Centre which will provide much needed cancer treatment and support.
“At the heart of the centre is the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub, a welcoming, non-clinical space designed around the needs of patients and their families. It is there to support anyone affected by cancer from the point of diagnosis, through treatment, into recovery and end of life.
“Macmillan Cancer Support and the RUH have been working in partnership for over 20 years. We are continually exploring new collaborative opportunities to develop and improve cancer services, to provide the best possible care and support for people affected by cancer in the
area. With this shared vision in mind, we are proud to come together once more to create a space for people living with and affected by cancer.”
The new Dyson Cancer Centre is located near the main entrance of the RUH and has its own entrance – patients and visitors do not need to enter the main RUH building.
The Macmillan Wellbeing Hub is open from 8am – 6pm and patients, loved ones and the wider community are welcome to drop in for information during these times. Spread across three floors, the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub includes counselling rooms, complementary therapy spaces, information space, and comfortable accommodation where relatives and loved ones can stay overnight. Face to face appointments along with specific support services can be booked in advance.
For more information about the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust click here.