Construction is underway on new radiotherapy centre at Gwent hospital

Construction of a new radiotherapy centre which will provide cancer treatment for patients in Gwent is well underway.

After more than a decade of planning, work on the new £38 million Radiotherapy Centre at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny began on Monday, January 16.

Work on the new centre is well underway with the building’s exterior visible on the Nevill Hall Site as it nears completion.

The new centre was expected to be complete and operational by December this year after the pre-construction phase was completed at the end of 2022.

Steve Ham (3rd from left) and Nicola Prygodzicsz (4th from right), along with representatives from Kier Construction and Aneurin Bevan UHB. Picture: Aneurin Bevan health board (Image: Aneurin Bevan health board)Now the opening of the new centre has been moved to early 2025, with the Aneurin Bevan Health board aiming to open the centre by Spring.

This week, Nicola Prygodzicz, Chief Executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and Steve Ham, Chief Executive of Velindre University NHS Trust, were able to visit the site and glimpse the construction’s progress.

During their tour, they were able to visit one of two Radiotherapy Bunker rooms, which will house the unit’s medical linear accelerator radiotherapy machines.

The walls, floors and roofs of these bunkers will be made of thick concrete to provide radiation.

Left picture shows that the unit will be filled with windows looking out onto the surrounding landscape the right shows: The Radiotherapy Bunkers will house the LINAC Machines. Picture: Aneurin Bevan Healthboard (Image: Aneurin Bevan Healthboard)The tour also offered an opportunity to witness the multiple views of the surrounding landscape, with the Blorenge mountain visible from many of the unit’s windows.

The new centre will provide radiotherapy services close to the homes of residents in Gwent and those living in the north and east of the catchment area of Velindre Cancer Centre.

The investment will provide new and improved treatment for cancer patients, deliver safe radiotherapy services, and improve the capacity and efficiency of the service – by offering quicker and more targeted treatment.

artist's impression depicts how the finished unit will look. Picture: Aneurin Bevan Healthboard (Image: Aneurin Bevan Healthboard)

Once open next year the centre will offer a Radiotherapy Satellite with two operational Linac machines, Radiotherapy planning, On-treatment review, On-treatment education, and CT Simulator.