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Clatterbridge patient figures soar after launch of Liverpool centre five years ago
16 hours ago
Patient numbers at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre have risen dramatically since the launch of its new city centre base just five years ago.
New figures released show the number of new patients seen has risen by 32%, from 10,749 in 2019/20 to 14,196 in 2023/24.
The number of outpatient chemotherapy appointments has soared from 63,845 to 98,216 in the same period.
It shows a huge success for Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool which celebrated its fifth anniversary last week.
CCC-L was opened in June 2020 as part of an NHS programme called Transforming Cancer Care, which had a mission to expand and enhance cancer care, making specialist diagnosis, treatment and clinical trials more easily available.
The aim was to bring cancer care closer to the people who needed it and followed an independent review in 2008 which recommended the building of a new cancer treatment hospital right in the heart of Liverpool.
At the time virtually all non-surgical cancer care was delivered from the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s Wirral centre in Bebington.
Joan Spencer, chief executive at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, said the Liverpool hospital, built next to the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital and the University of Liverpool, has allowed them to treat and care for cancer patients close to where they live as was their goal and she added: “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.”
She said:
“Our new hospital is part of a network of care for communities in Merseyside and Cheshire, including numerous sites across the region offering outpatient radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, a ‘treatment at home’ service, and a community diagnostic centre which means people are being diagnosed and treated more quickly.”
Other figures revealed show the total number of patients treated has risen from 32,715 to 39,326; and the number of radiotherapy appointments from 82,658 to 98,216.
Now 97% of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s patients live within 45 minutes of where they are treated, and people with blood cancer and solid tumours are all treated in one place with access to the same support.
* Pioneering treatments to help people with blood cancer have been introduced, like CAR-T which uses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer – a first in the region.
* New state-of-the-art technology in radiotherapy has been introduced, with new linear accelerator machines (or linacs) called Varian Halcyon with Hypersight technology, to improve the experience for patients and make images more accurate for clinicians.
* It’s grown its research function to offer first-in-human clinical trials to give hope to patients when traditional cancer treatments might not have been effective; and can now offer early phase clinical trials because of its proximity to the Royal Liverpool Hospital which can provide access to intensive care facilities.
* The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre owns and operates Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre so people have easier access to a whole range of health tests, for cancer and other health concerns.
Joan concluded: “Our programme has made a real difference to people with cancer in our region and clinical data shows people are living longer and living well after a diagnosis.
“The opening of the hospital was merely the beginning; the extensive efforts that have been put in before and after have been remarkable. I am immensely proud of our team and their unwavering commitment to supporting people with cancer in the region.”
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