The NSW Government will establish a second state-wide peritonectomy service at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The 2015 NSW Peritonectomy Services Planning Report recommended a second NSW public sector peritonectomy service be established to meet current and future demand for the highly-specialised and complex surgical service for some cancers of the peritoneum.

Local health districts and networks interested in operating a second service were invited to put forward their proposals in August 2016. A formal Evaluation Committee has recommended RPA as the most-clinically appropriate site.

RPA is a centre of excellence which provides highly complex services and care to patients with gastrointestinal and colorectal cancers, such as pelvic extenterations.

Currently, the only public state-wide peritonectomy service is performed at St George Hospital, a major tertiary and trauma hospital for NSW.

Mrs Skinner said until the second service is up and running - expected to be within six months - St George Hospital will increase the number of peritonectomy procedures it undertakes.

“RPA will provide a complementary peritonectomy service, which will be performed by the specialist medical, nursing and allied health staff needed to care for these patients,” Mrs Skinner said.

Since December 2013, the number of NSW peritonectomy surgery cases undertaken each year at St George Hospital has increased from 72 to 116. The treatment of peritonectomy patients is clinically complex and requires extensive use of intensive care units (ICUs) and inpatient beds.

The NSW Government has provided $2 million over the past two years to perform an additional 40 cases each year.