Clatterbridge to reconfigure cancer care after ‘resounding’ public support

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Foundation Trust claims its proposals have been met with “resounding approval” from people in the region, even though one of its current sites will lose services.

Under its plans, Clatterbridge will build a new hospital on the same site as the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and University of Liverpool.

Services will continue at current sites in Wirral and Aintree, but the former will lose inpatient beds and complex care, which will move to the new Liverpool site.

An independent analysis by Liverpool John Moores University of the trust’s consultation process, which ran from July to October, found that 92 per cent of respondents “supported the vision outlined in the consultation documents”. Over 1,000 people responded to the consultation.

Eighty-eight per cent felt the proposed changes “would help deliver the vision and improve the quality of care that people with cancer will receive in Merseyside and Cheshire”, although this was lower in Wirral, where only 71 per cent supported the proposals.

• Sign up to regional updates straight to your inbox

Quality of care was identified as the most important priority by 84 per cent of respondents, above the distance travelled to receive it.

While Wirral was less positive than respondents across the whole patch, the researchers said that in the preconsultation programme only 41 per cent of those in Wirral and Cheshire had indicated they felt the proposals were a good idea, meaning support had grown.

Clatterbridge’s chief executive, Andrew Cannell, said the £118m investment in the new hospital would “significantly expand and improve cancer care in Merseyside and Cheshire”.

He said the benefits would include an “additional radiotherapy site, a more central location with onsite specialties including intensive care, and enhanced research capability through closer working with the university”.

An outline business case will now be developed, which is expected to be approved next summer. A full business case will follow a year later, with building work due to start in 2016 and the new hospital opening in autumn 2018.