Christie opening delayed and cost goes up to £26m
WORK is set to restart at the Ma c c l e s f i e l d Christie site but the scheduled completion date for the multi-million pound cancer centre has been put back.
Demolition,
which began early in 2020, has been completed and now contractor Vinci Construction will take over the building work.
The scheduled finish date for the two-storey centre was autumn next year but the impact of the Covid crisis means this has now been delayed until December 2021.
It will be ready to function by the beginning of 2022, at which point it will accept around 1,500 patients across 40,000 appointments every year.
The estimated cost, previously £23m is now £26m.
Dr Andrew Sykes, clinical lead for the Christie at Macclesfield project, said: “Our focus for the last three months has rightly been on continuing to provide safe and effective cancer care to our patients and in supporting patients who are worried about Covid-19.
“But with the first wave of the pandemic now behind us, we can once again move forward with our ambitious plans for a new cancer centre in Macclesfield.
“We also hope that as things start to get back to normal in our communities that fundraising for this vital project across Macclesfield and East Cheshire will pick up again.
“We still need to raise around £20m towards the overall cost of this project.”
Demolition work was completed by Galliford Try and new contractor Vinci has pledged to minimise disruption as it carries out its part.
Plans for the new cancer centre, in the grounds of Macclesfield Hospital, were approved by East Cheshire Council in September 2019.
It will bring together cancer services under one roof and significantly shorten journey time for patients from Macclesfield and the surrounding areas - who currently travel to Manchester for treatment.