All centres were awarded for the world-class treatment, cutting-edge clinical trials, and compassionate, patient-centred care they provide to patients with a brain tumour, following an extensive peer-led review of their services and feedback collected from almost 1500 patients by The Brain Tumour Charity. The West Midlands application met and, in several areas, exceeded the rigorous, expert-led criteria to ensure the highest standards of patient treatment, innovation, and research. It was the only joint application and the partnership between organisations builds on a long-standing relationship in the region, working together on a stand-out clinical trials portfolio and with the state-of-the-art genomic services submitting more brain cancer genomes than anywhere else in the country.
The Centre of Excellence came about as the academic co-leads are also involved with the West Midlands Cancer Alliance and decided to work together with the West Midlands Cancer Alliance to improve equity of access to services and learn from each other’s various strengths.
“The group have been working together on genomics research for almost a decade. Formalising our partnership will allow us to work more closely to learn from each’s strengths, specifically considering how to deliver therapy-based services more effectively. For example, the psychological support in place for brain tumour patients at UHNM has been highly commended and we are keen to share best practice more widely to ultimately help our patients live well with cancer.”
Erminia Albanese, Consultant Neurosurgeon, University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Foundation Trust
Newly awarded centres have demonstrated progress in areas such as holistic care, advancements in genomics and access to clinical trials. Centres also met new and higher standards in areas such as neurological symptom management and psychological support, informed by key patient priorities and work of charity campaigners. These improvements demonstrate the outstanding commitment of NHS teams to driving innovation and elevating care, in a landscape of stretched resources, backed up by rigorous standards, national data collection and best practice sharing.
In each centre, the whole team treating brain tumours, from surgeons and nurses through to physiotherapists, palliative care specialists and researchers, will pull together to provide the very best opportunities for patients with brain tumours. Brain tumours affect over 12,000 adults in the UK every year and kill more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
Professor Richard Gilbertson, Chair of the TJBCM and Chair of Oncology at the University of Cambridge, said “The Centre of Excellence programme continues to give us an unprecedented view of the treatment, care and research of brain tumours in the UK; we now know better than ever where the NHS is excelling, but also where we need to come together to collectively address national challenges.”
Lord Darzi, who led the review of the NHS in England in 2024, said: “The award of 14 new Centres of Excellence is a fitting tribute to Dame Tessa Jowell and her dedication to improving treatment and care for patients with a brain tumour. This programme shows the NHS at its very best, highlighting teams across the country that are working tirelessly to improve their services and deliver excellent care.”
