NHS opens £35m Cumbria cancer centre

The Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria has welcomed its first patients after John Graham Construction finished work on the site.

Newcastle Hospitals and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust worked together to create the cancer centre in Carlisle, which will provide non-surgical treatment for patients.

Designed by P+HS Architects, the 41,900 sq ft centre will save most patients from having to trek to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital for treatment. Only young people, those with rare cancers, and those who require very specialist radiotherapy will be referred to the Freeman Hospital.

Already approximately 2,000 patients are booked to receive treatment or follow-up care at the centre. According to the NHS, the building’s team expects to deliver 11,500 radiotherapy treatments, 8,000 chemotherapy treatments, and 4,000 supportive therapy treatments a year at the facility.

Lyn Simpson, chief executive for North Cumbria Integrated Care, said:

“I know many people have closely watched the progress of the centre since construction began and it is excellent to see the building now complete and welcoming patients.

“The opening of the centre in partnership with Newcastle Hospitals is a real milestone in our journey to improve cancer services for patients across north Cumbria.”

Carlisle City Council approved the plans for the centre in 2018. The development team for the project included BGP Consulting as structural engineer, JCP Consulting Engineers as mechanical and electrical engineer and Gleeds as cost manager.