A NEW cancer centre treating Warrington patients could open in Liverpool.

The new specialist hospital in the city centre is part of plans to expand cancer services in Cheshire and Merseyside.

People are being invited to give their views on the proposals which cancer experts say would dramatically improve care by offering even better care to the most seriously ill patients.

The Transforming Cancer Care consultation, launched today, will ask people what they think of plans to develop a new cancer hospital on the same health campus as Royal Liverpool University Hospital and the University of Liverpool. 

It would be run by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

Cancer care would also continue to be provided at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s existing sites as well as the services it provides in hospitals across Merseyside and Cheshire.  

Dr Peter Kirkbride, Medical Director of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “Merseyside and Cheshire has one of the highest cancer rates nationally and it’s the biggest single cause of death here so it’s something that will affect most of us, either as a patient or a relative, at some time in our lives. 

“Although The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre provides excellent care, our main site in Wirral doesn’t have on-site access to other clinical specialties such as intensive care, cardiology and diabetes that are becoming increasingly important as the population ages. 

"More people are developing cancer and we are seeing more complex patients who have conditions like diabetes, heart and kidney disease as well as cancer.  To continue providing the very best care, cancer experts and patients need on-site access to specialists in these diseases and intensive care."

Under the proposals, inpatient beds including the teenage and young adult unit would move from Wirral to the new hospital in Liverpool. 

The Wirral site would continue to treat the majority of patients who wanted to be treated there – only those needing inpatient beds or the most complex care would travel to Liverpool.

The £118m development would be funded by the NHS with additional support from a public fundraising appeal.  It would not be a private finance initiative.

The public consultation runs to October 19.

You can find more information and complete the consultation questionnaire online at www.transformingcancercaremc.nhs.uk, by calling 0151 296 7068 or e-mailing engagement@cmcsu.nhs.uk.