Plans to build the UK's first nuclear medicine facility in north Wales producing cancer fighting substances has been announced by the Welsh Government. The laboratory would produce medical radioisotopes which are critical to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer as they are used during scans and in radiotherapy.
The UK has no domestic supply of the majority of radioisotopes, relying on imports from European facilities. A number of sites have closed and it is believed that by 2030 the UK could have no medical radioisotopes, with a significant impact on patient care.
The initiative aims to make Wales a “global centre of excellence” for medical radioisotope production in the UK over the next 60 to 70 years, improving the Welsh economy and creating high and low-skilled jobs over several decades.
The Project Arthur (Advanced Radioisotope Technology for Health Utility Reactor) facility would provide radioisotopes to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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The project is a major collaborative development between the Welsh Government’s Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Economy.
Its vision includes creating a ‘technology campus’ in north Wales, to parallel other UK campuses with a nuclear element, such as those at Harwell (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) and Culham (UK Atomic Energy Authority) in Oxfordshire, and at Daresbury (STFC nuclear physics laboratory) in Cheshire.
However, to succeed, the Welsh Government said funding needs to be secured from different sources - including the UK Government - to create project Arthur.
Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has called on the UK Government to help fund the project to avoid a “future health and economic crisis”.
Mr Gething said: “The scale of investment needed to bring Project Arthur to life is considerable. I am calling on the UK Government to co-operate in supporting our efforts, since this development benefits and supports future cancer diagnostics and treatment right across the UK. Now is the time for decisive action and commitment. The implications of not acting will be counted in human lives and in long-term economic pressure on health services, through unsustainable health treatments.
“We are now experiencing unprecedented economic pressures – but that is not an excuse for failing to plan for this clear future need. We must prevent a future health and economic crisis. I have, therefore, approved funding for a technical feasibility study and for the development of an Outline Business Plan. This plan will build on technical work already undertaken and the earlier Strategic Outline Business Plan.
“I’m confident our Project Arthur facility can become a global centre of excellence and a source of pride for Wales and the wider UK for many decades.”
Mr Gething added: “Our vision is the creation of project Arthur - a world-leading nuclear medicine facility, which will bring together a critical mass of nuclear science research, development, and innovation.
“Through this development, not only can Wales become the leading place in the UK for medical radioisotope production – producing life-saving medical radioisotopes that are critical to cancer diagnosis and treatment – but we can also attract higher skilled jobs, create a surrounding infrastructure, support local communities, and build local supply chains.
“This project will be vital in helping us deliver on our commitments to creating a healthier and more prosperous Wales, by creating the opportunities people need to make their futures here in Wales.”
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