This June, we will be marking the fifth anniversary of the opening of Cheshire and Merseyside’s major specialist cancer hospital, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool (CCC-Liverpool).
It was a moment that had been more than a decade in the making and stemmed from a landmark report recommending major changes in the way cancer care was delivered for the people of Cheshire and Merseyside.
It may seem hard to believe but at the time the report (known as the Baker Cannon report) was published in 2008, virtually all non-surgical cancer care in Cheshire and Merseyside was delivered from just one location in Wirral. And because it was on a site with no acute medical services, patients had to travel to other parts of the country for many specialist cancer treatments and clinical trials.
At the same time, Liverpool and other parts of Cheshire and Merseyside faced some of the highest incidence of cancer and worst outcomes nationally, with survival rates well below the average for people in England.
As a result, a major NHS programme – Transforming Cancer Care in Cheshire and Merseyside – was developed to invest in further expanding and enhancing cancer care to make specialist diagnosis, treatment and clinical trials more easily available to those most in need.
One of the most important elements was the opening of a major flagship specialist cancer hospital in Liverpool. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, the new 11-storey Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool (CCC-Liverpool) opened on time and on budget in June 2020.
Nowadays, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is one of the UK’s leading specialist centres for cancer treatment and research, with a unique network of care that spans 17 sites across Cheshire and Merseyside as well as a pioneering ‘treatment at home’ service.
First-in-human trials of the most advanced and novel cancer treatments such as CAR-T therapy are available right here in Liverpool. We have innovated and led the way nationally on services such as immunotherapy, metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) and treatment at home, deliver outstanding patient experience, have been one of the best-performing trusts year after year in patient surveys, and are renowned for the quality of our clinical research and expert, compassionate care.
Ahead of CCC-Liverpool’s fifth birthday, we have completed a formal evaluation of the Transforming Cancer Care programme – it looks at what we set out to achieve with our NHS partners, what we have delivered and the impact it has had so far, along with lessons learned.
Joan Spencer, Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said:
Everyone here at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has played a part in the achievements outlined in this report, together with our partners across the NHS.
Opening the new hospital has enabled us to offer more specialised services, conduct more clinical trials than ever before, provide expert cancer care close to home, and connect with neighbouring trusts to ensure our patients receive comprehensive cancer treatment.
The Transforming Cancer Care evaluation report shows what a huge impact this investment and hard work has had and how it is benefiting patients across Cheshire, Merseyside and beyond.
Professor Rowan Pritchard Jones, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Medical Director, said:
The opening of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool five years ago was a defining moment for cancer care in our region. It represented a significant milestone in the Transforming Cancer Care programme.
People across Cheshire and Merseyside now have access to world-leading cancer care, including advanced treatments and clinical trials, much closer to home.
The Transforming Cancer Care evaluation report reflects the meaningful improvements that have been made in cancer care, with lasting benefits for patients throughout Cheshire, Merseyside and the wider region. It also sets a strong foundation for the future as we continue to innovate and reduce inequalities in cancer outcomes.
