SALFORD ROYAL HOSPITAL IS RECOGNISED AS A BRAIN CANCER CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR PATIENT CARE

Salford Royal Hospital took its place alongside eight other NHS hospital brain tumour centres today as they became the first to be recognised as Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence for patient care.

The announcement was made at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT), for which Brain Tumour Research holds the secretariat.

With more than 12,000 people diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour in the UK, and over 500 new patients seeking treatment at the jointly delivered centre, the award has been introduced to recognise hospitals for their excellence in patient care.

Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status recognises the delivery of outstanding care and treatment by NHS staff in their efforts to provide above excellent patient care through a difficult time.

It is three years since Baroness Tessa Jowell gave her powerful speech in the House of Lords, following her diagnosis with a glioblastoma multiforme, recognising the need to improve brain tumour treatment, care and survival for all patients.

Tessa’s daughter Jess Mills, Co-Founder of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, said: 

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“Mum’s mission throughout 50 years of her political life was to tackle systemic inequality. So it was tragic whilst fitting that her final campaign was a call to arms to create universal equality in access to excellence in cancer care throughout the NHS. It is with immeasurable pride that just three years later, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission has begun the real-world translation of that vision into reality.

“We are thrilled to have awarded nine centres for their excellent ongoing work for patients and commitment to support other centres in reaching the same level of excellence.”

 

Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research, Sue Farrington Smith MBE, who sits on the Mission’s Steering Group, said: 

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“We are very pleased to welcome this important initiative which perfectly complements the work that we are doing to fund and campaign for increased investment in the basic scientific research which is so vital if we are to improve outcomes for patients and, ultimately, find a cure for brain tumours which kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.”

The full list of centres are:

University Hospitals Birmingham

NHS Lothian, South East Scotland Cancer Network (Edinburgh)

Kings & Guy’s and St Thomas

Leeds teaching hospitals NHS Trust (Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital)

Salford Royal & The Christie (Manchester)

Newcastle-upon Tyne Hospitals

Nottingham University Hospitals

St George’s University Hospital, Royal Marsden & Royal Surrey

and University College Hospital London & the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.