Hard hat walk-about at Queen Mary’s Hospital cancer centre construction site

Owned by Oxleas NHS, Queen Mary's Hospital will be the location of a new state-of-the-art cancer centre, with information and support services provided by Dimbleby Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Due to open to patients in early summer 2016, the £200,000 Dimbleby Macmillan Support Centre will be an integral part of the new cancer centre, where Guy's and St Thomas' will provide cancer treatment services. It will offer help to people affected by cancer in south east London and north Kent. Supported by volunteers, the service will operate five days a week to offer practical and emotional support.

The Dimbleby Macmillan Support Centre, part of a £30m investment in the hospital by Oxleas NHS, will replace and expand on the work of the current Douglas Macmillan Centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital, where a dedicated team of volunteers and Dimbleby Cancer Care information professionals currently help people affected by cancer.

During the visit, Jonathan Dimbleby, chair of Dimbleby Cancer Care, said: “It is great to be here at the site today. You can see how the building is starting to take shape and it gives you a real feel for what an important role this centre will play in supporting people with cancer in London and Kent, helping to deliver the first class cancer services already offered at Guy’s and St Thomas’ to people where they really need it, closer to their homes. This is something Dimbleby Cancer Care is very proud to be part of and I look forward to the opening next year.”