Albany radiation oncology service comes into view ahead of December start

The first stage of works to prepare the Albany Health Campus for the construction of the region’s first radiation oncology service is set to start in December, Health Minister Roger Cook announced in Albany yesterday. The State Government is targeting mid-2021 for the start of construction on the bunker. Tenders closed this week for the forward works package to prepare the Albany cancer centre for the construction of a specialised radiation bunker known as a Linac Suite. The forward works will also include improved vehicle access to the site and the creation of 67 additional parking bays. Visiting the site of the $20m facility yesterday, Mr Cook said the project was a “complex piece of work and it is very important that we get it right”. Mr Cook said the project was “going as planned” and was expected to be operational in the second half of 2022. Detailed design works for the main building have been finalised. An artist’s impression is pictured above. “This is a really important service for the people of Albany. Three hundred and fifty patients a year have to travel to Perth for multiple episodes of care as a result of needing radiation oncology,” he said. “By having the radiotherapy unit here in Albany, those patients will be able to avoid that arduous, expensive and difficult travel. “They will be able to get the care they need in the communities where they live, surrounded by the people they love.” In response to strong criticisms over delays, Mr Cook said it would “take as long as it will take”. “The McGowan Government has been working very closely with the WA Country Health Service to identify opportunities to accelerate or expedite the construction timeline on this lifesaving project,” he said. “We have to keep the staff safe, the patients safe and the people safe. “We are dealing with radiation, difficult isotopes which have to be managed in an appropriate environment by the experts. “That takes a lot of planning. This is taking as much time as any other radiation oncology service and we had to identify the funding, we had to make sure we did the proper planning and the design work. “All that work has now been finalised so we are moving forward with the construction phase.”