Six NHS sites have been named as Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence, as the national effort to improve the treatment, care and research for children with brain cancer continues.
The six centres form part of a wider network of 15 brain tumour centres for children, which have been established following a comprehensive review from the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM).
The six centres of excellence include:
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH) and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) Joint Centre
- Greater Manchester Children’s Neuro-oncology Service: The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University
- Nottingham Children’s Hospital at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Cancer Research UK figures indicate that around 420 children are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year in the UK.
TJBCM says its project will give families and patients confidence in each service in the network and emphasises that they witnessed examples in every centre of NHS staff working well beyond what was being asked.
Dr Nicky Huskens, TJBCM’s CEO, explained: “Going forward we will be working with our partners in the charity, public and corporate sectors to provide bespoke centre support and launch new meaningful national initiatives to improve brain tumour treatment and care.”
The review examined each centre across 168 areas along the patient pathway, including clinical care, quality of life, and clinical trial access. Paediatric oncology specialist, Dr Stephen Lowis, led the review.
He said: “In every team in every city, we found remarkable examples of exceptional and compassionate care. This initiative will support all centres across the UK to develop their services, through national collaboration and sharing of examples of excellence.”
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