Irish-designed cancer centre in London to treat children from Ireland

Irish children requiring cutting-edge proton therapy treatment are set to receive it at an award-winning, Irish-designed new hospital centre in London.

The treatment of child cancer patients from Ireland has been factored into the design of the new centre at University College Hospital, according to Eoin O Moráin of architects Scott Tallon Walker, which designed the £250 million project.

The Grafton Way building has already won a number of architectural awards, including project of the year from Construction magazine and best interior design at the European Healthcare Design awards.

It has also been nominated for best healthcare project at the forthcoming Architects Journal and World Architecture Network awards.

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Proton beam therapy can be used to precisely target tumours without damaging adjacent tissue, leading to fewer side effects and reduced long-term consequences. It is most often used on hard to treat cancers, such as those in the brain, on the spine or near reproductive organs. About one-third of patients are children and teenagers.

As the therapy is not available in Ireland, children requiring treatment have to be sent abroad to receive it. Treatment typically lasts five to six weeks.

According to the HSE, 10 to 15 children a year are sent overseas to receive proton beam therapy under the treatment abroad scheme. They have to be recommended by their consultant, have their submission approved by a specialist panel and be deemed suitable to receive the therapy by the treating centre.

Up to now, the preferred centres are in Manchester and Germany but the London centre is expected to receive Irish patients shortly.

The new centre provides 37,000 square metres of facilities including the proton beam centre, 10 critical care beds and three floors of inpatient wards for patients with blood disorders, making it one of Europe’s largest cancer hospitals.

Built into a tight urban site, it has seven floors over ground and six below ground. The proton beam centre is enclosed by 6 metre-thick concrete.

Mr O Moráin, whose firm lost out in the competition to design the new national children’s hospital in Dublin, pointed out that the London facility has been built at a fraction of the cost of the Dublin hospital.