Completion of £7.6m day-patient unit at The Christie

An external view of the first floor £7.6m Integrated Procedures Unit at The Christie

The Christie marks the completion of a new £7.6m Integrated Procedures Unit (IPU) a state-of-the-art unit which brings five day-patient services together under one roof at Manchester’s specialist cancer hospital.

It is funded by £4.99m from The Christie charity and aims to offer patients a more seamless experience with shorter waiting times and speedier treatment.

Thousands of patients will all receive treatment in one place. This will mean less waiting for day-patients who need to see the Trust’s plastic surgery, endoscopy, radiology, pain management or day case procedures teams.

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Carl Austin-Behan, joined patients Sarah Constable from Eccles and Norma O’Donnell from Droylsden to cut the ribbon in the first-floor unit which has been constructed above the hospital’s main Oak Road entrance.

They were joined by The Christie’s Chief Executive Roger Spencer, its chair Chris Outram, consultant surgeon and clinical lead for the new unit, Malcolm Wilson, and the managing director of major charity partner Joseph Holt Brewery, Richard Kershaw.

Joseph Holt Brewery contributed £402,000 from its centenary charity appeal, marking 100 years of charitable partnership with The Christie.

The Christie Chief Executive Roger Spencer said: “Without the support of our fundraisers we wouldn’t be able to bring facilities such as the new Integrated Procedures Unit to The Christie.”

The IPU will give patients better access to the latest treatments and medical procedures developed at The Christie. It will also have longer opening hours, so patients can come either before or after work to suit their personal needs.

By integrating and expanding five treatment services for our day-patients, the Trust can eliminate transfers between departments and minimise the need for overnight stays.

The first patients will start to be treated in the unit from the middle of April with the final services completing their move into the facility by the end of August.

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has been ranked ‘Outstanding’ by the health regulator the Care Quality Commission which referred to it as ‘exceptional’ and ‘a leader in its field’.

The CQC commended the Trust not only for its effectiveness and care but also for its work in shaping the future of cancer care, noting the reach and influence of its clinical research projects.

The Trust was also rated as the top specialist trust in the country and one of the top three trusts overall.