Swindon cancer treatment centre takes major leap towards completion
The new facility has been 20 years in the making
A Swindon widower, whose wife died of cancer, says he's "very pleased and proud" after a new local treatment centre took a major step towards welcoming patients.
On Monday 13 September, 20 years after the facility was first proposed, the roof of Great Western Hospital's (GWH) Radiotherapy site was finally installed.
When the Centre is officially opened, most cancer patients from North Wiltshire will be able to receive radiotherapy at GWH, rather than travelling to Oxford. This move is estimated to save 13,000 journeys to Oxford every year.
'A really tough, tough thing to go through'
Radiotherapy treatment sessions for many patients take place daily for several weeks, with the majority of journeys for Swindonians currently being upwards of an hour.
That was also the case for James Hussey's late wife, Gill.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago, Gill lost her life in 2014 - before building work had even started on the new Radiotherapy Centre.
"We went through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy .... travelling to Oxford, backwards and forwards," James told Greatest Hits Radio.
"She had three, six-week treatments there which was a really tough, tough thing to go through".
Since his wife's death, the Broad Hinton farmer has backed the Radiotherapy Appeal from GWH's charity Brighter Futures.
He lent access to his Broad Hinton farm over recent years, to host 10k races for Brighter Futures, and has also donated generously to the charity.
The Appeal, which aims to fundraise for specialist radiotherapy equipment in Swindon, has received more than £2.9 million to date.
The donations mean Linear Accelerators will be installed at the new Radiotherapy building later this month.
'It's going to alter their lives and make it kinder'
"It's been a long journey getting here, but it's very rewarding to see it happening," James added.
"It's going to make life much easier for people who are going through the cancer journey at the moment. I can't wait for it to happen and be open.
"Swindon really needs it, the area around here (too). For a lot of people it's going to alter their lives and make it kinder for them".
In addition to the reduced travel time, and the associated stress experienced by many, patients will benefit from a GWH Radiotherapy Centre that is open-planned and carries plenty of natural light.
It will be run industry-leading experts from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), which has invested around £18.4 into the project thus far.
Kevin McNamara, Chief Executive at GWH, said the development is evidence of a "great partnership" between his Hospital and OUH.
'Definitely worth every penny'
"I think when we start seeing the patients coming through the doors, when we listen to the very personal, human stories of the difference this makes, I think we'll all be able to point to this and say: 'It's definitely worth every penny'," he added.
The GWH Radiotherapy Centre is expected to treat its first patients in Spring 2022.