Public Board of Directors papers 260123

Research & Innovation Manchester Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) will receive £3m of funding over the next five years. The funding has been made possible by a partnership between Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Little Princess Trust specifically for children’s cancers. Manchester is part of a network of 17 ECMCs across the UK, funded by Cancer Research UK. Since 2007, when the network was first established, around 30,000 patients have taken part in 2,100 trials. The funding will allow new, experimental treatments - including immunotherapies - for a wide variety of cancers to be developed, as well as improve existing treatments. The Manchester ECMC is a collaboration between Cancer Research UK, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester. Since 2019 a plan to position The Christie as the leading early phase clinical trial site, based in the CRF, for liquid haemato-oncology trials started. This is led by Christie consultants Prof Adrian Bloor, Prof Tim Somervaille and senior trainee Dr Emma Searle. The Haematology service already delivered small amounts of early phase research but aimed to provide a comprehensive portfolio of early phase trials to offer haematology patients in the North of England access to trials often only accessible through London hospitals. The Christie Charity have supported this approach. In the last 18 months over 100 patients have been referred for consideration for a trial from all over the UK. The team has more than doubled in size and has led global recruitment to trials. Our nursing team has presented their research at UK and European meetings and Dr Searle now receives regular invitations to act as UK Chief investigator for commercially sponsored clinical trials. In September, Dr Emma Searle was awarded the NIHR Greater Manchester CRN Early Career Researcher Achievement Award and was invited to present high profile clinical trial findings at the American society of Haematology conference in New Orleans. In 2023 another Early Phase trials consultant will join the team.

Responsible Director: Professor Fiona Blackhall Responsible Assurance Committee - Quality Education

Christie Education has partnered with Salford University and the GM Cancer Alliance in securing £1.2 million in a competitive bid to the Skills for Growth programme, supported by the European Social Fund. The programme will provide bespoke training and education packages to enable over 1000 Allied Health Professionals to become Allies in Cancer Care. The Christie has won funding from Health Education England to host a digital clinical platform (as part of a competitive, ICS shared bid), building on excellence in training for radiographers. Funding from Health Education and Innovation Wales has also been secured to enable expansion of our Gateway C platform for primary care staff in Wales.

Responsible Director - Director of Education Responsible Assurance Committee - Quality Strategic and Service Developments

The Paterson project continues to make good progress with the works nearing completion and the commissioning and preparation of the building for use is underway. Over the next few months, the external works to the entrance and footpath will progress and the site hoardings will begin to be removed. We are anticipating that the first staff will begin moving into the Paterson during April/May.

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