Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Aintree celebrated their 10th anniversary this week with a visit from the first patient to receive radiotherapy treatment at the centre.
Dougie Barclay, 73, from Anfield was the first patient to be treated at the unit when it opened in 2011, receiving 30 rounds of radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. The retired bricklayer has since made a good recovery and whilst he is still receiving injections every three months for his PSA levels, he is no longer receiving cancer treatment.
Dougie said:
“I was having pain in my back and legs before I was diagnosed. I remember walking into the building 10 years ago and feeling very anxious; being treated for cancer is a really scary thing to go through. But the team were amazing and put me at ease. The fact that they were all so friendly definitely made the experience easier.
“It’s lovely to see some familiar faces still working at the centre and I was delighted that they remembered me. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since my treatment but I’m feeling good, the pain in my back and legs has gone and I’m not having any further treatment.”
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Aintree was developed as a satellite unit a decade ago to bring radiotherapy treatment even closer to people in north Liverpool. It is located on the Aintree University Hospital site and has provided over 300,000 treatments to patients over the past 10 years.
The centre has three advanced linear accelerators – the specialist machines that deliver radiotherapy treatments – as well as an outpatient department and support services for those living with cancer. It was officially opened in February 2011 by His Royal Highness Prince Edward.
Construction of the unit was part-funded thanks to a £3million donation from The Marina Dalglish Appeal, which provides support to people living with cancer. Marina and Sir Kenny were also there to cut the ribbon on opening day, ten years ago.
Louise Corcoran, Treatment Expert Practitioner at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Aintree, has worked at the unit since it opened. She said:
“The team at our Aintree site are fantastic and it’s been a real privilege to work here for the past 10 years, providing the care that our patients deserve.
“Our team, from our therapeutic radiographers through to our reception staff, all work as one big family and we like to include our patients as part of that as well. Creating a family atmosphere here at the centre hopefully takes away some of the anxiety that our patients may be going through when they come in for treatment.”
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s leading specialist cancer centres, employing more than 1,400 members of staff and treating over 30,000 patients every year across its sites in Aintree, Wirral and Liverpool city centre, as well as in clinics across the region.
On 10 successful years of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Aintree, Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Liz Bishop says:
“The team at Aintree is amazing. They’ve looked after the thousands of patients who have walked through the doors of the unit for the past 10 years and the care that they give is outstanding.
“We are very proud of our team at Aintree.”
