The Christchurch Cancer Foundation wants to build a purpose-built cancer facility in the city.
The Christchurch Cancer Foundation wants to build a purpose-built cancer facility in the city.
The Canterbury DHB has been told cancer survival rates were "disgraceful" and better care was needed.
The Christchurch Cancer Foundation wants to build a purpose-built cancer facility in the city to offer better treatment, facilitate research, provide education, and offer support to those affected.
Today, it pitched its Southern ComprehensiveCancer Centre to the DHB, which owns the land it wanted to build it on.
The proposed centre would be 40,000-45,000sq m, and the Christchurch Cancer Foundation wanted it to be funded by the Government.
Māori were disproportionately affected and were 20 per cent more likely to get cancer and twice as likely to die.
The foundation said a centre also needed to be established to attract clinicians.
"We are falling behind – and it will get much worse," said Pearson.
"We will lose out in the global talent war."
Foundation chair and leading colorectal surgeon Frank Frizelle said currently there were "little bits of treatment all over the place".
"We need a beacon."
However, the plan would require changes to plans for a block of land owned by DHB bounded by Hagley Ave, St Asaph St, Antigua St, and Tuam St, with the biggest change being the need to move a recently announced new car parking building.
Staff and patients at the hospital had been calling for more car parks for years following assaults on staff who often had to park some distance away for early morning or late shifts.
The foundation believed the car park could be easily moved to another location on the site.
