WARRINGTON cancer patients are benefiting from a new £17 million radiotherapy service in Liverpool, cutting down on journey times.

The Clatterbridge Satellite Radiotherapy Centre, next to the Walton Centre for Neurology, at Fazakerley Hospital, was built after NHS proposals were made for the expansion of radiotherapy services north of the Mersey for patients in Warrington, Liverpool and St Helens.

The details were announced by Wirral based Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Foundation Trust.

It will be staffed by Clatterbridge’s own specialist radiographers and doctors as well as expert cancer rehabilitation and support services.

The Clatterbridge trust is the sole provider of radiotherapy within the area.

Patients needing radiotherapy treatment in Warrington had to travel around 28 miles to Clatterbridge, which treats 5,500 patients each year.

Now it has moved to Liverpool, the distance has reduced to an average of around 19 miles.

The new clinic aims to help an estimated 900 people each year with breast, prostate and lung cancer in an outpatient setting and it is hoped the extra service will help reduce waiting times and improve accessibility to treatment.

A new machine will also allow the centre to treat some specialised brain tumours and benign conditions in co-operation with the Walton Centre.

Patients needing more complex radiotherapy cannot be treated at the satellite unit as they require the full medical support available in a main cancer centre.

A spokesman for NHS Warrington said: “Expanding the region’s radiotherapy services will have huge benefits for Cheshire and Merseyside, ensuring that more patients are able to access the essential cancer care they need, closer to home.”