Morgan Sindall starts on Rutherford Diagnostics HQ

The contractor has started work on the £20m project, part of the £1bn Paddington Village, which will act as a UK hub for disease detection, treatment, and prevention.

The six-storey building, designed by Ryder Architecture, covers 46,000 sq ft and sits opposite The Spine, the northern headquarters of the Royal College of Physicians. This is also being built by Morgan Sindall.

Due to be operated by Proton Partners subsidiary Rutherford Diagnostics, the centre will act as the company’s hub to develop partnerships with private healthcare and the NHS, using genomics to predict disease, susceptibility, treatment, and drug response.

The company said its goal would be to “reduce waiting times for diagnostic tests from weeks to days”.

Liverpool City Council is acting as developer for the building, which is then leasing it back to Proton Partners once it completes.

Rutherford Diagnostics’ headquarters is Proton Partners’ second building at Paddington Village; contractor Interserve is already well under way with its £35m Rutherford Cancer Centre, which is adjacent to the Diagnostics Centre and is due to complete later this year.

Proton Partners chief executive Mike Moran said: “Once complete this centre will represent a true step change in the way diseases are detected and treated.

“Britain’s approach to healthcare is unfortunately very reactionary, often responding to diseases when they have reached an advanced stage. We hope to turn that around using personalised screening and advanced diagnostic technologies.”

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson added: “This diagnostics centre is going to be a fantastic addition to Paddington Village and further boosts our plans for a world leading innovation hub in the heart of the city’s Knowledge Quarter.

“Paddington Village is gaining real momentum now with renowned tenants like Proton Partners International, the RCP and Kaplan investing in the city and creating highly skilled jobs – and the great news is that there is much more to come.”