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New Urology Unit at Royal Berkshire Hospital being built by MTX Funding to develop
A new Urology Outpatients Department is being constructed at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading by MTX Contracts, which employs modern methods of construction to deliver projects faster, safer, greener and more cost effectively than conventional building methods. The new unit will be used by the Urology, Surgical, and Outpatients teams and is funded by the NHS Capital for Targeted Investment in Elective Recovery created to reduce the backlog of elective procedures. A total of 44 factory-manufactured structural
steel units have now arrived on site and have been craned into position to create the 1400m² facility, which is due for completion later this year. The Urology Outpatients Department is designed to enhance urological care with a wide range of specialised areas, including six consult/exam rooms, an ultrasound scanner room, and a large treatment room. The building also has dedicated spaces for essential equipment and services, such as a treatment/chemo room, lithotripter room,
and flexi lab. Supporting staff and patient flow, the layout for the new facility also includes offices, a staff rest room, locker/changing room, and reception and waiting areas. Steve McManus, Chief Executive Officer of Royal
Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re really excited to begin work on the development of this unit. Not only will it provide modern, state-of-the-art facilities for staff and patients, but it will enable us to perform more surgical procedures and support patients being seen more quickly. It is part of the on- going investment we are making into services at the Trust to ensure our local community can access high quality and safe care as quickly as possible.” MTX Pre-Construction Director, Adam Robertson, commented: “MTX is proud to have been chosen by Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust to deliver this project which is the latest in a series of contracts we have secured for new facilities designed to reduce NHS waiting lists and enhance the patient experience.”
injectable paste to target bone tumours
The Dubrowsky Lab at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) has secured a £110k grant from Orthopaedic Research UK to develop an injectable paste with anticancer and bone regenerative properties. The project will see researchers at ROH
produce an injectable paste comprised of gallium-doped bioglass that, if proven effective, could be used to treat patients with primary and metastatic bone cancer.
Gallium is a metallic element that has cancer-killing properties. When combined with bioactive glass the material can kill cancer cells that remain when a tumour is removed and accelerate the regeneration of the bone defect. In addition, the material also prevents bacterial contamination in the surgical site. A recent study led by Aston University in
collaboration with the ROH found that bioactive glasses doped with the metal have a 99 percent success rate of eliminating cancerous cells. Lead Researcher, Dr. Lucas Souza, said the biomaterial has the potential to “improve treatment outcomes”, leading to reduced time in hospital beds, less use of antibiotics, and fewer revision surgeries. The benefits could ultimately “improve survival rates, functionality and quality of life of bone cancer patients,” Dr. Souza added.
Early cancer diagnosis in England reaches highest ever level
The proportion of patients being diagnosed with cancer at an early stage in England has risen to its highest ever level, according to new NHS analysis. Latest data on 13 of the most common cancers,
such as breast, prostate and lung cancer, shows that nearly three in five patients are now being diagnosed at stages one or two, when the cancer is easier to treat. The increased number of cancers being caught earlier follows a major drive by the NHS over the last two years to encourage millions of people to come forward for potentially life-saving checks, especially those who may be at higher risk as a result of hereditary or lifestyle factors. Rapid cancer registration data shows that 120,958 of the 206,038 common cancers (58.7%) diagnosed between September 2023 and August 2024 were identified at an early stage – an improvement of 2.7 percentage points on pre-pandemic levels, corresponding to an estimated additional 7,000 patients diagnosed at an early stage.
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I February 2025 Among the initiatives rolled out by the NHS to
help catch more cancers earlier are its innovative NHS Lung Health Check (Targeted Lung Health Check Programme (TLHC)) and Liver Health Programmes. They see hi-tech mobile scanning trucks and vans go into the heart of communities
to offer in-depth checks to people at shopping centres, sports stadiums, food banks and supermarket car parks. Data shows more than 5,000 people have been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier via the TLHC programme, since it was launched in 2019. Dame Cally Palmer, National Cancer Director for NHS England, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early – and following a major drive on early detection in recent years, it’s really encouraging to see more people than ever are now being diagnosed at an earlier stage. “There is still much more to do to save more lives and we will not let up in our efforts to catch more cancers earlier, where treatment is more likely to be successful. NHS teams across the country are continuing to take tests and checks closer to people who need them, and with new treatments being made available all the time, we will continue to do all we can to get people seen and treated for cancer as early as possible.”
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