From Monday (22 March), major construction work will begin on a new ‘stand alone’ state-of-the-art radiotherapy centre as part of a £35million redevelopment scheme.

The centre will house three linear accelerators - machines used to give radiation treatments to patients with cancer - a CT scanner and new outpatients clinic suite near to the existing radiotherapy/oncology department in the Middlesbrough hospital.

The scheme - expected to take around 23 months and be completed by winter 2011/2010- also includes:

Extending the current chemotherapy day unit to provide additional capacity Refurbishing existing waiting room and reception areas Renovating the department to house a new £2.5m TomoTherapy machine – an advanced CT scanner with a high energy x-ray treatment beam that more accurately targets tumours

Next Wednesday (24 March), trust chairman Deborah Jenkins will turn the first sod of earth joined by patient Hazel Brock, staff, PCT colleagues and construction partners Interserve.

She said: “This really is an exciting time for the development of cancer services. Working closely with our commissioners, we’re getting state-of-the-art facilities which will benefit patients and staff and be a huge asset in the region for many years to come.”

As part of the redevelopment, there will be some disruption on site, as well as temporary changes to patients and visitors’ car parking.

Director of planning Jill Moulton said: “Inevitably there will be some disruption on the site although we will try to keep it to an absolute minimum. All hospital services will continue to operate as normal and we thank patients, visitors and staff for their patience during this time.”

David Flewker, regional director, Interserve Project Services Ltd, said: “Interserve is delighted to be delivering, as part of the Procure 21 Framework, the radiotherapy and oncology development for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at The James Cook University Hospital.

“We have worked closely with the trust to design this cutting edge facility and as a local company we are extremely pleased to be involved with a project that will bring an improved level of healthcare to the community.”

The expansion of radiotherapy and oncology services will help to meet the growing demand for cancer treatment and the trust has been working hard, with the support of primary care trust colleagues and the North of England Cancer Network, to secure the redevelopment.