The first hospital to open as part of the UK Government’s commitment to deliver 48 hospitals by 2030, the £35m Northern Centre for Cancer Care has been officially opened by Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
Housed within the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, the new cancer hospital will significantly improve care provision for thousands of patients in Cumbria.
It will utilise state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment equipment, including a chemotherapy day unit, plus radiotherapy and CT scanners, and will provide one of the largest combined cancer treatment services in the country.
The £35m facility will be used by patients from across north, west, and east Cumbria.
Allowing new, cutting-edge services to be brought under a single roof in north Cumbria for the first time, it will allow most adult cancer patients in Cumbria to now receive care close to home, rather than facing significant travel.
The hospital has welcomed its first patients and expects to receive 1,200 new patients a year, in addition to the 2,000 patients already set to receive treatment or follow-up care at the new centre.
It is expected that the hospital’s expert team will deliver 11,500 radiotherapy treatments, 8,000 chemotherapy treatments and 4,000 supportive therapy treatments annually.
While visiting the site, Sajid Javid said: “I am incredibly honoured to open this cancer hospital in Carlisle, which will support thousands of people by bringing these vital services under one roof, as part of our commitment to deliver 48 hospitals by 2030, backed by an initial £3.7bn.
“Cancer diagnosis and treatment is a top priority, and I am committed to tackling the backlogs caused by this pandemic.
“The NHS is here for everyone, and I look forward to seeing how the hospital will help to diagnose and treat cancer patients across Cumbria by levelling up cancer care in the region.”
The Government’s ambitious 48-hospital scheme saw details of 40 new hospitals released last year, which alongside eight schemes which had secured investment through the previous government – of which the Northern Centre for Cancer Care was one of these – represent the largest hospital building programme in a generation.
