Cancer centre roof collapse closes beds

The Northern Centre for Cancer Treatment is run by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals trust on a site at Newcastle General Hospital maintained by Newcastle City Health trust.

It is due to move as part of a wider relocation of services by the acute trust in five years' time.

But North Tyneside community health council chief officer Sally Young said the buildings to be used for the next five years were 'not up to standard' for 'vulnerable' chemotherapy and radiation patients.

'There's a lot to be desired in the transitional planning, ' she added.

Newcastle CHC chief officer Linda Redpath described the current situation as 'obviously unacceptable', adding that the cancer centre roof was 'just one issue'.

During the winter there had been problems with the boilers on the site, she said, and the fracture clinic was 'in a poor state of repair'. But she accepted that there was 'a value for money issue about putting money into something that's being vacated'.

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals trust chief executive Len Fenwick said: 'I think Newcastle City Health trust is maintaining Newcastle General Hospital to the required standard, bearing in mind the short-term life of the buildings involved.'

Both CHCs also identified 'to-ing and fro-ing' between the two trusts as a problem. But Mr Fenwick denied there were disagreements 'as such' between the trusts.

Work had begun on a£45,000 scheme to replace the roof membrane, and treatment programmes had 'caught up', he said.

In a statement, Newcastle City Health trust said the NCCT building was being maintained 'to required standards' and a planned roof replacement had been brought forward by the problem caused by 'excessive rainfall'.