Patients, staff and supporters joined Her Majesty the Queen to officially open the new Dyson Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospital on Tuesday, 3rd September.
The Queen unveiling a plaque at the centre | Photo © Paul Gillis
Her Majesty was given a guided tour of the purpose-built centre, which brings together many of the hospital’s cancer services under one roof, including the 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 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 talking with Sandy Tyler and her daughter | Photo © Paul Gillis
The Queen also 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 later 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 Riya Gowda, a pupil at a local school whose father is a consultant oncologist within the centre.
Riya Gowda presenting the Queen with a posy | Photo © Paul Gillis
Following the plaque unveiling, the Queen 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 £40 million 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 £10 million fundraising campaign from RUHX, the hospital’s official charity, including a £4 million donation from the James Dyson Foundation and £1 million 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 £1.5 million 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.
