£35m proton cancer treatment facility coming to Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter

A multi-million pound proton cancer treatment centre is set to be built in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter.

The deal to secure the £35m facility, which will use pioneering proton beam therapy, was announced today (March 15) at the MIPIM property expo in Cannes.

Located on Paddington Central – the first phase of the city’s new £1bn Paddington Village development – the centre will be one of just four built in the UK by Proton Partners International.

The site will be called The Rutherford Cancer Centre North West and is due to launch by 2018. Once operational, it will be able to treat as many as 700 patients per year.

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: “We are delighted that KQ Liverpool has been able to attract yet another prestigious development to Paddington Village.

“Momentum is really beginning to build for KQ Liverpool and we can expect more exciting announcements, like Proton Partners International’s, which will further cement its reputation as a world-leading innovation district, specialising in medical and life sciences research.”

Proton Partners International’s CEO, Mike Moran, commented: “As someone born in Liverpool I’m genuinely thrilled Proton Partners International will be part of this exciting new chapter in the city’s history.

“To see the centre being located where my brother went to school, and after what he went through, is a story that’s come full circle in many ways.”

He continued: “I know how important KQ Liverpool is for the city and the entire North of England in creating a site of global significance for the scientific community.

“The Rutherford Cancer Centre North West will not just benefit private patients, but we will also treat patients referred by the NHS in need of more highly specialised cancer care. We are working with global leaders in proton beam therapy - our centres will be equipped with the best technology there is.”

In addition to The Rutherford Cancer Centre North West, the Knowledge Quarter will also house the new Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, which launched a fundraising campaign in February to drive its development.

Knowledge Quarter chief exec Colin Sinclair said: “We are delighted that Proton Partners International have chosen Liverpool ahead of other UK locations and that this state-of the art- facility will be available to the people of the North West.

“It is also further proof that the City Region’s offering in health, science and tech truly is world-class.”

The Rutherford Cancer Centre North West will be based just yards from RCP North, the upcoming HQ of the Royal College of Physicians.