Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology pledges to continue Wirral radiotherapy services after announcing plans to build treatment centre in Liverpool

Mar 4 2009 Birkenhead News

CLATTERBRIDGE Centre for Oncology says services in Wirral will not be affected by plans to build a £17m radiotherapy centre in Liverpool.

The centre announced this week it wants to create the purpose-built facility on land at University Hospital Aintree, staffed by specialist radiographers and doctors from Clatterbridge.

The Liverpool centre, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2010, will house three radiotherapy machines.

But Dr Brian Haylock, Clinical Director of Radiotherapy at the Centre, said radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments in Wirral would continue as normal.

He said: “Current services at the Wirral site will continue as before but a significant portion of our patients will no longer need to travel to Wirral to receive their cancer treatment.

“Clatterbridge has an established heritage and reputation in Wirral and we celebrated 50 years of providing cancer services last year.

“The new centreŠ will benefit from our 50 years of expertise but will enable treatments closer to home improving services for the start of the next 50 years.”

“We are investing in this development for the simple reason that it will be a huge benefit to patients in this region, and patient care is at the heart of everything we do.

“In addition the benefit of the close proximity to The Walton Centre will enable more complex treatments to the brain.”

The project is being actively supported by the Marina Dalglish Appeal, set up after Marina, wife of former Liverpool FC manager Kenny, was successfully treated for breast cancer at Clatterbridge in 2003.

The charity is hoping to provide £5m towards the development of the new centre.

Marina said: “The work done at Clatterbridge is second to none, but a long uncomfortable car journey when you are trying to deal with the effects of cancer can be very hard.

“This new cancer centre in Liverpool will benefit from the expertise of Clatterbridge staff and a location that will ease the burden of the journey through the tunnel.”