The Western Australian Health Department has appointed Perkins (WA) Pty Ltd to build the new radiotherapy centre at the South West Health Campus in Bunbury. The facility is described by the government as the first of its kind for regional Western Australia.
The $15.2million development is jointly funded by the State and Federal Government, and is scheduled for completion by mid 2011. The new centre is expected to provide facilities and services for most cancer patients requiring radiation oncology treatment in the South-West. This should reduce the need for patients to attend treatment centres in Perth, and will improve equality of service provision between the City and the Region.
The design for the new centre includes two oncology bunkers to enable it to meet projected demand for services over the next decade. The number of patients treated is expected to rise from 350 to 400 in the first year of operation to more than 650 per year by 2021, based on expected population growth.