Canberra cancer centre hosts public open day (ABC)

ABC The opening of the cancer centre was delayed by nearly a year.

A new multi-million dollar cancer centre at Canberra Hospital has been opened to the public for the first time.

Members of the public have been given the chance to inspect the $50 million facility before it starts taking patients later this month.

The five-storey building brings together all diagnostic and treatment services at the hospital.

Previously patients had to attend multiple appointments in different locations around the hospital.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher admitted there had been challenges to getting the centre up and running, after its opening was delayed for almost a year due to flooding.

"People have worked hard to get to where we are today and it's going to be open and operational from the 18th of August," she said.

"Anyone who uses this essential service, not just from Canberra but the surrounding region, will have a much better experience."

Ms Gallagher said she was confident the new centre would provide a major improvement in care for patients.

"The modern amenity is just streets ahead of what we were able to offer in the former building."

Bill Refshauge, who was among those inspecting the new facilities, said: "I actually have cancer and I'm being treated here.

"The old wards are rather congested, so I wanted to see what the planners have done with the new area."

Ms Gallagher explained that engineers had also faced difficulties dealing with the building's special requirements.

"It had to be built near the radiation bunkers which radiation and oncology have," Ms Gallagher said.

"So we didn't have much of an envelope to work with."

"It is a tall, thin building, and then there's been issues about rock under the ground," she said.

Up to 60 per cent of the patients who will use the centre's services are expected to come from New South Wales.

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