Speciality Cancer Centre to Open in London

A major investment in London by health giant VPS Healthcare Group will see up to 2000 new jobs created at a ‘super-speciality’ hospital focused on cancer treatment. The new centre will be created within the historic grade II listed Royal Masonic Hospital in Hammersmith, which closed in 2006. Due to open in 2017 with a bed capacity of 150, the hospital will offer Proton Beam Therapy* particularly suitable for treating complex childhood cancers and tumours in areas such as the brain, head and neck.

VPS Healthcare is a leading healthcare provider in the Middle East and India, currently employing over 7,500 people with a particular focus on cancer care. The new London hospital represents its first entry into the UK market.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “This is tremendous vote of confidence in London’s thriving life sciences sector as well as the skills and talent of our amazing healthcare professionals. London is a world leader in medical sciences and through MedCity we are working to generate the jobs and growth that will propel this important sector to even greater things.”

VPS Healthcare founder and managing director Dr Shamsheer Vayali said: “The UK has one of the strongest and most productive medical research sectors in the world, contributing to patient well-being as well as supporting breakthroughs in science and driving economic growth. It has a worldwide reputation for excellence in innovation within its universities and is recognised for producing world-class scientists and clinicians.

“VPS Healthcare has been encouraged by the UK Government’s ongoing policy to support health and pharmaceutical companies, and we believe that our investment in this dynamic sector will not only ensure that we play a key role in supporting this initiative, but will also help to grow and develop the next generation of medical breakthroughs.”

*Proton beam therapy in the UK

Proton beam therapy is currently generally unavailable through the NHS, though a small number of UK patients, mostly children have been sent abroad for treatment.  In 2013, the UK government announced funding of £250m to build two new PBT centres in University College London NHS Foundation Trust and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester which are due to offer treatment from 2018. These will be equipped with Varian proton beam technology. In April 2015 Cardiff-based Proton Partners International announced their intention to open PBT centres available to NHS and private patients in Cardiff, London and Northumberland.