About 500 Bay of Plenty residents a year will now be able to have their cancer treatment closer to home rather than making a three hour round trip to the cancer centre in Hamilton.

Health Minister Tony Ryall opened the $35 million Kathleen Kilgour Cancer Centre at Tauranga Hospital today.

'This new high-tech radiotherapy unit makes use of innovative technology with two state-of-the-art linear accelerators,” says Tony.

'The centre provides dedicated treatment services located right next to the hospital's medical oncology unit, and includes an entire floor of free parking for patients.

'The building isalso environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The entire roof is comprised of solar panels and heating energy consumption will also be minimised by opening panes to let in natural, fresh air.

'By having ‘roof light' windows the building will be filled with natural light, reducing the need for harsh, artificial light and making it a less stressful and more comfortable environment for patients.

'This National-led government is focused on delivering the best possible cancer services to New Zealanders. Wehave invested more than $100 million extra to support people with cancer and improve services - and we recently announced a new target to speed up Cancer treatment,” says Mr Ryall.

The centre is privately owned and will be contracted by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board to provide public radiotherapy services in the region.

Source: Office of Tony Ryall.