CONSTRUCTION of a $6 million cancer-treatment centre in Maitland is due to start on Tuesday.
The GenesisCare facility will provide radiation therapy treatments, medical oncology and clinical trials all under the one roof.
Previously Lower Hunter patients had to travel to Newcastle to undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy, adding to the already significant emotional and physical toll of cancer.
"This new cancer facility is fantastic news for our local Maitland community and is a welcome addition to the new Maitland Hospital which is also currently under construction," Maitland Mayor Loretta Baker said
The new facility will have the capacity to deliver 14,000 treatments to 800 patients a year.
"In the next decade, areas such as Maitland will face mounting pressure from urban sprawl and an ageing population," GenesisCare's general manager of oncology, NSW, Dr Kathy Kociuba said.
"Therefore, it is imperative that we invest in the right healthcare infrastructure to ensure the local community needs here in Maitland are met now and into the future,"
The cancer treatment centre will open its doors to patients in mid-2021 and will be located adjacent to the new Maitland Hospital, which is expected to open in mid-2022.
