£1m investment means Rugbeians will be able to have chemotherapy at St Cross

The new unit will be housed in a presently-unused single-storey building near to the St Cross Chapel
By Alex Green, Reporter
Published 29th Sep 2020, 09:37 BST
Updated 29th Sep 2020, 11:24 BST
Cancer lead Dr Beth Harrison stands outside the building at St Cross which is to be converted to house the new suite.Cancer lead Dr Beth Harrison stands outside the building at St Cross which is to be converted to house the new suite.
Cancer lead Dr Beth Harrison stands outside the building at St Cross which is to be converted to house the new suite.

Rugbeians will be able to receive chemotherapy at St Cross thanks to a £1m investment to build a new Haematology and Oncology Day Unit

The self-contained department in the old Mulberry Ward will provide a modern facility for Haematology and Oncology patients to receive day case treatments and outpatient

consultations close to home.

File image, Rugby's St Cross.File image, Rugby's St Cross.
File image, Rugby's St Cross.
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More complex Haematology and Oncology services will continue to be delivered on site at University Hospital in Coventry.

Alistair McIntosh, former director of Clinical Physics and Biomedical engineering at the Trust and chairman for Coventry Hospitals Charity, said: “This expanded facility for patients will

house five consulting rooms and nine treatment chairs as well as a treatment room for minor procedures.

"This new facility will enable us to provide treatment locally for patients receiving chemotherapy at the Hospital of St Cross and we acknowledge the generous support of The

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Friends of St Cross who have committed to supporting the soft furnishings and equipment for this new facility.”

Professor Kiran Patel Acting chief executive and chief medical officer for UHCW NHS Trust said: “I would like thank the Coventry Hospitals Charity and the Friends of St Cross for pooling their resources in order to make this long term vision a reality for Oncology and Haematology services.

"We are committed to providing high quality cancer services and meeting the future needs of our patients.

"This new service in Rugby will help us meet the rising demands for cancer services and provide timely delivery of care and maintain a world class service”.

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This major investment is being made by Coventry Hospitals Charity, a charity founded by healthcare staff and local businesses in the 1980s, which has donated an amazing £845,000 for

the building work and redevelopment of the site.

The Friends of St Cross are also donating £200,000 for specialist equipment and furniture, including nine treatment chairs, for the suite.

Willy Goldschmidt, chairman of the Friends of St Cross, said: “We are delighted to support this project with the largest single donation that the Charity will have made.

"We believe that almost everyone in Rugby will know of someone who has had a diagnosis of cancer and will value this development."

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In addition to the charitable investment, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has invested over £2 million in improvements to the Rugby site in

2019/20 and is investing a further £111,000 for a new roof, windows and project management resources for the new unit as part of their ongoing investment in the hospital.

The construction phase is starting from Monday September 28 and should be completed by early 2021.