BUILDING work to create a multi-million pound new cancer centre in Carlisle is officially underway.

A ceremony to lay the first bricks will officially mark the start of building work by the Cumberland Infirmary was held yesterday.

A number of invited guests gathered at the grounds of the site to watch the city's MP John Stevenson lay the first brick of the £35million development.

The scheme to create a state-of-the-art environment for staff, patients, carers and their relatives, is being made by the North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) NHS Foundation Trust and The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Once the building opens in autumn next year - the centre will house a chemotherapy day unit with 15 treatment chairs and three single bedrooms, two linear accelerator (LINAC) radiotherapy machines and a CT scanner suite as well as consultation, examination rooms and a small café area.

Professor John Howarth, deputy chief executive of NCIC, added: "I've had some key moments in my career and this is one of them.

“The number of cancer cases is slowly rising. There are more people living with and being treated with cancer and there are so many more things we can do now.

“This is a fantastic achievement so far and I am really proud of everyone here.

“We are bringing cancer treatments that are currently available in Newcastle to the people of north Cumbria.”

The opening of the building in a year and a half's time will also bring all of north Cumbria’s oncology services under the same roof for the first time, meaning that patients will no longer have to receive cancer treatment in different parts of the hospital.

While NCIC will oversee the building of the new centre, upon completion it will be run by Newcastle Hospitals as part of the Northern Centre for Cancer Care.

Newcastle oncology specialists will work the existing teams to provide additional resilience to the service.

It will also mean that together the trusts will be providing one of the biggest combined cancer treatment services in the country.

Maurya Cushlow, executive chief nurse at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Trust, said: “The building of this cancer centre will have a real impact on patients in north Cumbria in terms of travel.

“I once met a man from Wigton who had an aggressive form of cancer and he had to travel to Newcastle every day for treatment. This had a real impact on him and on his family.

“I am delighted to see work on the cancer centre taking shape.

“It also demonstrates our shared vision and long-term commitment to delivering high quality, clinically safe and sustainable cancer services to the people of north Cumbria.”

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are working in partnership on this exciting development which will create a modern state-of-the art environment for staff, patients, carers and their relatives.

The £35million centre will house a chemotherapy day unit with 15 treatment chairs and three single bedrooms, two linear accelerator (LINAC) radiotherapy machines and a CT scanner suite as well as consultation, examination rooms and a small café area.

Once complete, it will also bring all of North Cumbria’s oncology services under the same room for the first time so patients will no longer have to receive cancer treatment in different parts of the hospital.

Suzanne Stanley Radiotherapy services manager said: “This is a landmark moment for the project and we’re really excited that we’ll be able to provide such wonderful facilities to further enhance cancer services that is truly patient focused here at Cumberland Infirmary.

“The new building will be state-of-the-art but it will also be homely. We want to make sure that when people come for their cancer treatment they are receiving it in a relaxing and comfortable environment, an environment that can put them at ease at what is often a frightening time.”

While North Cumbria Trust will oversee the building of the new centre, once complete it will be run by Newcastle Hospitals as part of the Northern Centre for Cancer Care. Newcastle oncology specialists will work the existing teams to provide additional resilience to the service.

It will also mean that together the trusts will be providing one of the biggest combined cancer treatment services in the country.

Newcastle Hospitals’ Executive Chief Nurse Maurya Cushlow said: “We are really excited that, in partnership with North Cumbria, we are now starting to see this ambitious project come to life on the Infirmary site.

“It also demonstrates our shared vision and long-term commitment to delivering high quality, clinically safe and sustainable cancer services to the people of North Cumbria.”

The centre is planned to open in autumn 2021.