The Christie is opening a new cancer centre in Cheshire

ITV Granada Reports' correspondent Rob Smith met Sue Thompson, who was the first patient to receive chemotherapy at the new cancer centre.

A multi-million pound cancer centre has welcomed its first patients in Cheshire.

The Christie at Macclesfield will provide a range of holistic services including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, counselling services, an information centre, palliative care and a wider range of clinical trials.

Costing £26 million, most of the cash to build the centre has come from donations to the Christie Charity.

It will be delivering 12,500 radiotherapy treatments every year and 6,800 chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormonal treatments.

Building work on the two-storey centre commenced in the summer of 2020, and has been designed in a way that will cater for the needs of patients with frailty.

Roger Spencer, Chief Executive at The Christie said: “We are delighted to be opening The Christie at Macclesfield today and will be providing a very warm Christie welcome to our first patients.

"The centre marks a new era in cancer care and treatment for people from East Cheshire and the surrounding areas.

"Many patients from Macclesfield and beyond currently travel to our Withington site but radiotherapy patients particularly will benefit from much shorter journeys in the future."

Mr Spencer goes on to say: "Patients having radiotherapy can spend hours each day travelling to and from Withington for up to six weeks, at a time when they and their families are already very distressed."