Statement in response to today’s announcement of a proposed new Proton Partners International Centre in Liverpool

Posted 15th March 2017

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is the UK pioneer for proton therapy and has treated over 3,000 patients with eye cancers over the last twenty eight years.

Proton planning is a very complex and integrated process and we are fortunate that the Merseyside region will soon be able to access one of two national NHS proton beam therapy facilities currently under construction at The Christie in Manchester (the second will be based at University College London).

This facility, working alongside a range of specialist NHS providers of cancer services will offer genuine clinical benefit from proton therapy to patients for whom doctors deem it advantageous.

NHS England remains committed to sending NHS patients to NHS commissioned facilities, including our low energy proton beam therapy for eye cancers.

Clinicians at Clatterbridge are working with the national proton team and colleagues at the Christie to ensure that local NHS patients requiring this form of treatment can access the care they require in a safe and effective way.

NHS patients across Merseyside and Cheshire will continue to receive cancer treatment, including proton beam therapy for eye cancers, at our sites in Wirral and Liverpool and clinics across the region as well as our planned new cancer hospital in Liverpool.