News

NHS 60th Birthday Programme

The Freeman Hospital’s brand new, state of the art Renal and Cancer Services Centre for the North of England was picked by Tyne Tees as the backdrop for filming a programme focusing on healthcare in the North East today. The programme – which takes the form of a panel debate - will air on Thursday 3 July 2008 on North East Tonight at 6:00pm in advance of the NHS 60th anniversary on the 5 July 2008.

The programme will allow viewers a sneak preview of this amazing, world-class new facility due to receive its first kidney patients in just a few weeks time and the first cancer patients in September. With striking architecture and ceiling to floor glass in the main atrium allowing natural light to flood into the building, this new centre is a shining beacon of how Newcastle Hospitals are bringing US style treatment to the UK for the first time – all under one roof in an environment designed to be as far removed from the traditional layout of a hospital as possible. Equipped with world-leading radiotherapy technology such as the UK’s very first Primatoms and only the 2nd TomoTherapy® radiotherapy machine available on the NHS in the country, which allow treatment of previously unoperable cancers with reduced side effects, this centre will offer specialist healthcare second to none anywhere across the globe giving patients the best possible chance of beating cancer.

Services will also include the North’s largest Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre and plans are well underway for the very first Maggie’s Centre for the North of England which will be sited nearby. We will also continue to offer a wide range of holistic and complementary therapy including our 'Look Good, Feel Better' and 'Headlines' services offering personalised and practical advice on make up and specially designed headwear.

And our quest to find the cures for tomorrow will continue to be a real priority for us as an integral part of the new centre will be the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre – a purpose built facility providing the perfect environment for ground-breaking research by our world leading cancer specialists.

Panel members Ian Dalton, Chief Executive of North East Strategic Health Authority, Professor Kath McCourt, Associate Dean at the School of Health, Community and Education Studies from Northumbria University and Dr George Rae, a North Tyneside GP and Regional Chairman for the British Medical Association (BMA) GP Committee, answered a series of questions put forward by members of the local community covering issues such as:

• The future of GPs surgeries
• Hospitals cleanliness and infection control
•  Waiting times
• NHS dentistry
• The future of the NHS, including funding.

Highlights of the discussions will be broadcast on North East Tonight at 6:00pm on Thursday 3July 2008 and the full programme will be available online at www.itvlocal.com/tynetees