The new Rutherford Cancer Care, North East is the first of its kind to be constructed and operated in the North East. The world-class facility brings state of the art technologies to the region including CT, MRI, Linac Radiotherapy, Infusion-Therapy and Proton-Beam Therapy. The building is having a massive impact on the local community, designed with the patient at its core, it provides life-saving treatments locally within a therapeutic setting, to improve patient outcomes and improve the overall patient, family and staff experience.
The design and construction of the centre was complex; the cyclotron and linac equipment, required for proton beam therapy and radiotherapy, required specialist design and installation to meet the strict ionising radiation medical exposure regulations, protecting the public and the environment. Its design had to accommodate not only the specialist equipment but also prioritise the patient journey.
The centre is located in an area of land called Earth Balance. This location was specifically chosen because of its sustainable development principles of protecting and preserving the environment. The result is state-of-the-art treatment suites in a truly therapeutic setting designed to reduce stress and speed recovery.
The two storey building includes huge concrete-lined underground vaults to house the cyclotron and linac equipment. These bespoke vaults were delivered by the international subcontractor Pravida Bau. Having two contractors working side by side on the same site presented its own logistical challenges and so detailed logistics plans were developed to co-ordinate site activities.
