Construction of Liverpool’s first specialist cancer hospital has begun with help from comedian and actor Johnny Vegas.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, NHS Foundation Trust and Laing O’Rourke have finalised the contract to begin work on building Liverpool’s first specialised cancer hospital.
To celebrate the important milestone, Johnny Vegas and Everton FC legend Ian Snodin were recently at the construction site.
The trust provide care for cancer patients across Merseyside and Cheshire, as well as vital research and plan to expand their services into the new hospital.
Once the new hospital has been built in Liverpool, plans are in place to further develop the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre on the Wirral.
The new hospital will be across from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital with bulk excavation foundation work already underway.
Clatterbridge will provide a series of treatments from specialised chemotherapy, radiotherapy, cancer support and rehabilitation and more services once development has finished.
Treating people across the region of Merseyside and Cheshire, the Centre cares for those suffering with solid tumours and blood cancers while also carrying out crucial trials of new treatments.
The £162million project is funded by the NHS and government sources, with a further £15m to come from The New Cancer Hospital Appeal.
As a result, this means there’s no PFI funding involved with the project.
Andrew Cannell, Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “We are delighted to be working with Laing O’Rourke on this very exciting development that will transform cancer care for this region.
“We have worked closely with staff and patient representatives on the design of the new building and we are all very excited to now see our plans taking shape in what will be a landmark for the area.
“The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has a commitment to providing the very best care for our patients. The new cancer hospital will allow us to do that.”
Comedian Johnny Vegas, knows first hand just how important centres like Clatterbridge and new hospital in Liverpool are, when his father was treated on the Wirral.
Vegas said: “The new hospital is absolutely vital. It may not have affected you, but with cancer we know at some point it will and this hospital will help transform cancer care, not only for our families but for families in the future.”
Construction on the new hospital is expected to be completed by 2020, with the first patients to be welcomed in by the summer of the same year.