Rutherford Diagnostics speaks at our February forum
The COO of Rutherford Diagnostics, Ron Russell, who recently set up the fourth Rutherford Cancer Centre in the UK, sited in Liverpool, will be speaking at our February forum at RIBA North.
Ron who has 35 years experience in leadership and management roles in the Defence and Healthcare sectors, will be describing the growth of investment in the city's healthcare industry.
He has been a key member of the team that delivered High Energy Proton Beam therapy to the UK for the first time, through the Rutherford Cancer Centres. The centres have been funded and created by Proton Partners International, which was formed following discussions between Professor Karol Sikora, who ran the World Health Organisation's cancer programme, Sir Chris Evans, the life sciences entrepreneur, and leading institutional investor Neil Woodford of Woodford Investment Management
According to NHS England proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that uses high energy proton beams - small parts of atoms - to treat certain cancers rather than using high energy X-rays (or photons). Proton beam therapy allows concentrated doses to be focused on tumours, which means less damage to surrounding healthy tissue.or organs. This is particularly helpful when the cancer is close to an essential organ such as the spinal cord.'
The NHS currently only has one proton beam centre centre in operation - in Manchester - with a second building at University College Hospital London. This is is due to begin treating patients in 2020.
NHS England also says that some patients have been treated using this therapy approach for eye cancer at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Merseyside.
We are looking forward to Ron joining our discussions on the future of diagnostics research and the value of this to the healthcare landscape in Liverpool.