Bupa’s one-stop cancer unit opens
By Olive Carterton
Rutherford Health has partnered with Bupa Health Clinics to open new Bupa Health Centres at its network of cancer clinics, creating a one-stop customer journey for patients, from diagnosis to treatment.
The first to open offers patients access to services such as private GP appointments, health assessments and physiotherapy under one roof within the Rutherford Cancer Centre North West in Liverpool.
Kevin Solly, general manager at Rutherford Cancer Centres; Sarah Melia, general manager of health services at Bupa; Ian Sutherland, operations director at Bupa, at the opening of the Bupa Health Centre at the Rutherford Cancer Centre North West in Liverpool
If symptoms of cancer are identified in the Bupa Health Clinic, patients will be directed to Rutherford’s cancer specialists for MRI and CT scans, mammograms and ultrasonograms on the same day, within the same facility.
The first Bupa Health Centre was opened by Sarah Melia, general manager at Bupa Health Services and Kevin Solly, general manager at Rutherford Cancer Centres. A second clinic will open in Rutherford Cancer Centre North East in Northumberland later this year.
Ms Melia said: ‘Our suite of health assessments are designed to give people a current picture of their overall health and well-being.
‘If any cancer symptoms are detected during an assessment, the partnership with Rutherford Cancer Clinics allows patients to quickly access treatment under the same roof, improving outcomes and giving peace of mind.’
Mr Solly said: ‘In the UK, we are currently in the midst of a serious crisis in diagnosis and screening for cancer patients, and we know that early diagnosis of cancer saves lives.
‘These clinics will help to strengthen diagnostic capability in the UK by providing patients with a critical healthcare facility that will be able to fast-track the time between diagnosis and treatment.’
He called the development a great example of how health providers could work together to improve care, create meaningful outcomes, and deliver tangible benefits to patients.
Rutherford Health has other treatment centres in Reading and Newport.