Western Australia will be home to a landmark $750 million Comprehensive Cancer, with the Prime Minister recently announcing that half of the funding will be provided by the Federal Government.
More than 50,000 Western Australians are currently living with cancer, and a patient-focused cancer centre will greatly improve the patient journey, improve outcomes and for the few patients who each year travel interstate for treatment, negate the need for that stressful experience.
Developed by The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (Perkins), the proposed centre will revolutionise the treatment and care of Western Australians living with cancer, combining medical research and clinical trials with cancer support facilities.
“Until now, Western Australia was the only mainland State in Australia that did not have a truly comprehensive cancer centre in operation or in development,” said Professor Peter Leedman AO, Perkins Director. “Western Australians deserve the best possible cancer care on their doorstep. This facility will provide that.”
The centre will be built alongside the Perkins building on the QEII Medical Centre in Nedlands, housing the latest research and treatment therapies for genuinely integrated ‘whole person care’ that supports the whole individual through cancer treatment.
“The architectural vision is to create a welcoming, supportive and safe place that maximises opportunities for connection to nature and access to fresh air and natural light. At the heart of the new centre is an elevated landscaped space filled with natural daylight. What will reassure families and patients is the knowledge that they are in a sanctuary where consistent, compassionate and timely care is delivered,” said Hames Sharley Director James Edwards.
Hames Sharley has previously completed a number of award-winning projects in the precinct, including the QEII Medical Centre Master Plan, the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia and the Perkins building.
The multi-storey building will include ten operating theatres, intensive care units, hundreds of overnight rooms, extensive cancer treatment facilities and onsite cancer research.
On completion, the project will provide greater access to world-leading cancer treatments, improve survival rates and reduce the gap in cancer outcomes for those in rural and disadvantaged communities.