Icon Group and Healthscope to expand cutting-edge radiation therapy services

MedTech News: The latest in advanced radiation therapy treatment will soon be available with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art cancer centre.

Icon Group CEO Mark Middleton says the opening of Icon Cancer Centre Holmesglen within Healthscope’s Holmesglen Private Hospital, in September 2021, will support the expanding metropolitan Melbourne community to conveniently access the latest in radiation therapy treatment.

“With Melbourne’s population set to increase to approximately 6.2 million by 2026, we are delighted to ensure that every person who receives a cancer diagnosis can access the best possible care, closer to home through the opening of a dedicated radiation therapy centre in the heart of Melbourne’s south-eastern corridor,” Mr Middleton said.

With the opening of Icon Cancer Centre Holmesglen, which will be home to a state-of-the-art Varian Halcyon linear accelerator machine, patients will be able to access all facets of their cancer care within the Holmesglen Private Hospital campus that aims to treat over 900 new courses of radiation therapy each year.

Rebecca Cortiula, Senior Managing Director, Varian Australasia said  “We are honoured to have been selected by Icon Group to be part of their expansion and to offer patients advanced treatment systems and software that allows personalised treatment options. This continued partnership allows us to further our vision of living in a world without fear of cancer and to positively impact more patient lives.”

The centre marks a significant milestone in the 2016 partnership between Icon Group and Healthscope. Homesglen is the fourth Healthscope hospital in this partnership, which will include seven radiation oncology centres within Healthscope hospitals nationally worth in excess of $65 million.

Healthscope CEO Steven Rubic says the collaboration between the two leading companies will continue to expand the availability of integrated, advanced cancer care services throughout Australia.

“Throughout the last five years, Healthscope has proudly worked hand in hand with Icon Group to introduce the latest in radiation therapy treatment to complement our hospital cancer services. We had a shared vision to provide greater access to world-class cancer treatment for patients at seven of our hospitals nationally. I am delighted to see the fourth centre of this partnership under development as we continue to explore further opportunities to partner with Icon in delivering a more comprehensive standard of cancer care across our network,” Mr Rubic said.

Holmesglen Private Hospital General Manager Keryn Hopkins says the centre will support the local community to access state-of-the-art radiation therapy treatment which was previously unavailable within Holmesglen Private Hospital.

“Icon Cancer Centre Holmesglen will play an important role in the delivery of comprehensive cancer care within Holmesglen Private Hospital, supporting local clinicians to offer seamless access to a full suite of cancer treatment options under the one roof,” Ms Hopkins said.

“The opening of a dedicated radiation therapy centre represents another step forward in the delivery of patient-centred, personalised care within our hospital grounds, ensuring every patient who walks through our doors can access the care they need in one convenient location.”

Icon’s national network means they can leverage highly specialised techniques and technologies across their centres, including in regional and metropolitan areas. The delivery of these techniques includes national training, extensive quality assurance checks and support to ensure treatment is delivered with the highest safety and quality.

The Icon Cancer Centre at Healthscope’s Holmesglen Private Hospital will be a private centre. However, patients do not require private health insurance to receive radiation therapy treatment privately as 80-90% of costs are reimbursed by Medicare.

The Icon Group also delivers Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) at three of our centres, located in Queensland (Cairns and Gold Coast) and Victoria (Warrnambool), while Mildura Health Icon Cancer Centre (currently in development) will also offer treatment for public and private patients in Mildura following its opening in late 2021.