Liverpool’s new Rutherford Cancer Centre North West, which was built by Interserve has started to accept patients three years after the company commenced work on the £35m facility
The centre, which is run by Rutherford Health plc, has been approved by the Care Quality Commission to initially offer patients Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) services.
The SACT services include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies symptom control, blood tests, oncology nurse consultation and supportive therapies.
The centre will also offer MRI diagnostic services.
The facility in the Knowledge Quarter in Paddington Village will eventually offer comprehensive cancer services with plans to expand services later this year to include radiotherapy, mammography and ultrasound with high energy proton beam therapy coming online early next year.
The Rutherford Cancer Centre is Interserve’s second major cancer treatment facility in the North West having successfully delivered the Christie’s Proton Beam Therapy Centre in Manchester.
The Liverpool cancer centre will be the first in the UK to use an MR Linac machine, which combines an MRI scanner and a linear accelerator and delivers targeted radiotherapy that can treat hard to reach tumours. The centre is the fourth in the Rutherford Health network of centres.
Services at the Rutherford Cancer Centre North West will be accessible to private patients under medical insurance, self-pay patients and to NHS patients where NHS contracts are in place.
An important development in the fight against cancer
Phil Shaw, divisional director, Interserve, said: “The team’s knowledge, experience, innovation and expertise contributed to this major project to deliver another significant cancer treatment facility for Rutherford Health.
“We are delighted with the finished building which will bring state-of-the-art cancer treatment technology to the people of Liverpool and the wide North West.”
Mike Moran, chief executive, Rutherford Health, said: “I am very proud that we are now in a position to start treating cancer patients in the city and the North West.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on cancer care services across the UK and we believe that this centre will be an important development in the fight against cancer.
“We are delighted with the role that we continue to play in advancing cancer care in the UK especially when it comes to precision radiotherapy.
“Our goal is to ensure cancer patients throughout the UK can easily access the most advanced treatments without having to travel long distances or even abroad.”
