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Primary schools in Greater Manchester are being urged to sign up to the Sun Safe Schools programme to help educate pupils, parents and communities about sun safety following the UK’s hottest summer on record. Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, part of the NHS, works with national skin cancer charity Skcin to promote the scheme which helps schools extend important health messages to the wider school community. More than 80 new schools have signed up to become Sun Safe schools in Greater Manchester With the start of a new school term now well underway, Dr Stephanie [...]

We are deeply saddened by the death of Professor John Moore, a remarkable clinician, leader, mentor and friend. John’s enthusiasm for innovation and his passion for improving cancer patient outcomes has driven significant improvements for the population of Greater Manchester and beyond. Across a distinguished NHS career spanning more than three decades, John made an extraordinary contribution to patient care, research, education and clinical leadership. He spent 19 years at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, in his clinical speciality critical care anaesthesia, most recently as Deputy Medical Director for Clinical and Scientific Services. At the Alliance, we will [...]

A grandad who was training for a 10K race and running several times a week believes taking part in a clinical trial has helped save his life after he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. Saeed Shakibaie, aged 75, had previously made a full recovery from bowel cancer 17 years ago and was enjoying an active lifestyle, regularly running and dancing salsa, bachata and kizomba. But when he began feeling unusually tired, he knew something was not right.   Saeed is sharing his story to coincide with Blood Cancer Awareness Month this September [...]

A Chorlton man is speaking out about his experience of bladder cancer and life with a urostomy bag in a bid to encourage more men to talk openly about their health and seek medical advice when something does not feel right. Pete Smart, 67, believes men are often reluctant to discuss cancer symptoms and can be guilty of putting off going to their GP, something he hopes to change by sharing his own story.   Pete Smart from Chorlton has played football with his current team mates since 1986. The keen cyclist and long-time [...]

Across Greater Manchester, between April 2025 and March 2026, over half (53.3%) of lung cancers were diagnosed at an early stage. Part of this success is down to the NHS Lung Cancer Screening programme in Greater Manchester which is led by Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust with support from the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. Since launching this screening programme more than 333,000 people have been invited for a lung health check. So far 202,000 lung health checks have been carried out and 139,000 people have had a low-dose [...]

When someone is diagnosed with cancer it’s a life-changing moment for the patient and their family. Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance – part of the NHS – has a long-tradition of working with patients and carers because we believe we can’t improve cancer services, outcomes and experiences of care for patients without involving those with a lived experience of cancer. Here Stuart Kohler, 63, from Standish, in Wigan, blogs about his role as a carer representative with the Alliance’s Greater Manchester Cancer Voices community. “When my wife Gill was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, our world changed in [...]

The latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey results highlight the positive experiences of people receiving cancer care across Greater Manchester. In Greater Manchester, 1,906 patients responded to the survey, resulting in a response rate of 44%. Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance recorded no scores below the expected range, with 10 areas performing above expectations nationally. Patients also gave their overall care an average rating of 9 out of 10, higher than the national average of 8.9. The survey found particular strengths in key areas of the cancer pathway: Patients reported positive experiences around receiving their diagnosis, [...]

The NHS is urging millions of people in their 50s to complete lifesaving bowel cancer screening tests, as new figures show this age group is less likely to take part. The latest annual bowel screening figures show that just over half (56.2%) of 54-year-olds took part in screening in the year April 2024 to March 2025, compared with more than 7 in 10 (73.5%) 70 to 74-year-olds. Around 100 cancers a week on average were diagnosed through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme during the year, with almost 5.2 million people taking part in screening – nearly half [...]

Our Medical Director, Miss Susannah Penney, and Associate Director, Alison Armstrong, were invited to attend a special reception at Downing Street on Monday 6 July, to celebrate the NHS's 78th birthday. Hosted in the No. 10 garden, the event saw Prime Minister Keir Starmer pay tribute to the invaluable contribution of NHS staff. There was also a speech from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the Rt Hon James Murray MP. Susi and Alison were among 100 NHS staff invited to attend the reception. They spoke to the Prime Minister and Mr Murray [...]

A dad from Salford who has recently been treated for oesophageal cancer is urging other men to learn the warning signs and visit their GP if something doesn’t feel right. Gary Carney, 54, from Walkden, first realised something was wrong when he began having difficulty swallowing food. He said: “My wife was away for a few days, so I got a takeaway. Afterwards, I found myself rubbing my chest to try and help the food go down. I thought it was just the takeaway not agreeing with me. “But then it happened again over the [...]