Six UK neuro-oncology centres have been awarded the coveted Centre of Excellence status from The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) – having met the high Standards of Excellence along their patient pathway. Areas assessed include clinical care, quality of life care and access to clinical trials. Special attention was paid to play therapy and education provision, key elements of children’s cancer care.
Some of the team at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital including our Clinical Lead, Dr Meghan Owens (second from right)
The six Centres of Excellence are:
-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
Tom’s Trust services among Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence
Among them are two centres where we run Tom’s Trust services – Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, and we know that Tom’s Trust funding and work has contributed to them being designated a centre of excellence.
Dr Sarah Verity (left) at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with members of Tom’s Trust, and those who supported the production of the Sibling Toolkit
This award marks the first step towards Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission’s vision that “every child with a brain tumour will not only survive but also receive the highest quality of treatment, care and research opportunities.” It also seeks to provide confidence among families and young patients in the services and care delivered by these centres.
This week, Tom’s Trust CEO Rebecca Wood, and our new Director of Services Development, Dr Lynda Teape, had the pleasure of attending the awards ceremony for the TJBCM Centres of Excellence for Children, and we very much look forward to working with the organisation and supporting the important work they do.
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