Alison Foxley, Communications and Engagement Manager and Head judge Miss Susannah Penney, Associate Director at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance (standing) address a room full of people sat at round tables

The finalists have been announced for the 2024 Greater Manchester Cancer Awards organised by Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance.

The awards honour outstanding work to improve lives and treatment for people affected by cancer in Greater Manchester.

 

Alison Foxley, Communications and Engagement Manager and Head judge Miss Susannah Penney, Associate Director at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance (standing) address a room full of people sat at round tables
70 entries were received for this year’s Greater Manchester Cancer Awards across six categories. Entries came from teams in the NHS, research, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE), and public health /local authority sectors. This recognises the collaborative approach teams take in Greater Manchester to work across organisational boundaries to make things better for patients.

Judges were made up of patients, clinicians, academics and “other health care professionals across Greater Manchester region.

The Alliance’s Greater Manchester Cancer Voices Community – made up of patient and carer reps – will also vote for the Patients’ Choice award which can be given to any finalist in any category and will be announced on the night.

Susannah Penney, Associate Director of GM CancerHead judge Miss Susannah Penney, Associate Director at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, said:

“We are delighted to announce the finalists for our second ever Greater Manchester Cancer Awards. These awards shine a spotlight on some of the really, valuable work that is going on across our cancer system and the standard of entries has been outstanding – its clearly an exciting time to be involved in cancer in Greater Manchester.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our shortlisted candidates to our awards ceremony in May where the winners will be announced.

“The awards are a chance to celebrate the dedication of staff who are committed to improving outcomes and experiences for people affected by cancer in Greater Manchester on a daily basis.”

Tracey a white woman with reddish brown collar bone length hair sitting in front of a clock in her kitchenTracey Jacques, a patient representative who was treated for womb cancer in 2020, said:

“It’s amazing to be a judge. I actually got a bit teary and found it quite emotional but in a positive way thinking about how some of this work is going to help other people in the cancer community the future – that includes patients, carers and health care professionals.

“I had no idea about all the work going on in Greater Manchester. It blows your mind! There are so many people that want to spend their time to improve lives and share knowledge.”

Shortlisted entries

Team Science

  • Manchester’s PMP Accelerator Team – University of Manchester, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Centre for Applied Pharmacokinetic Research
  • BRAINatomy – optimizing cognition in childhood brain cancer survivors – The University of Manchester, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Manchester CUP Research Group – The University of Manchester, CRUK Manchester Institute Cancer Biomarker Centre, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Commitment to equality

  • RAPID-RT – Co-designing an inclusive study to collect and utilise real-world data to evaluate patient outcomes after changes in standard-of-care radiotherapy practice – The University of Manchester; The Christie NHS Foundation Trust; Vocal (Manchester University Foundation Trust); NICE
  • Talk Cancer Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Cancer Research UK
  • Stockport Community Cancer Engagement Project – Stockport Council
  • Kitty Short – Creative Confidence CIC

Outstanding Care

  • GM CTC Recovery Plan – Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
  • The Christie Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology Centre – The Christie NHS
  • Tameside Macmillan Advanced Cancer Nurse Specialist Team – Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Innovation

  • The Greater Manchester Minimum Cancer Dataset (MinCAN) – Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
  • Measuring patient outcomes from cancer across GM – Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
  • Greater Manchester Chest X-Ray Artificial Intelligence – Pilot Project – Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance

Educational Impact

  • The Genomics Education Event – Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
  • Cancer and Us: Community Conversations – Vocal, Healthy Me Healthy Communities, LGBT Foundation, Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
  • Greater Manchester Cancer Academy – workforce and education programme – Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance

Early career researcher

  • Alicia Marie Conway – CRUK National Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester / Christie NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Manchester
  • Katy Ellis – Manchester University Foundation Trust- Breast Unit

Greater Manchester Collaboration

  • GM Targeted Lung Health Check programme – Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Northern Care Alliance, Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
  • Bolton Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service – Strategic Partners : Macmillan, Bolton Hospice, Bolton Pac, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (GMICB). Key Stakeholders: Bolton Council and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Cancer Support Worker Pilot– Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance

Winners will be announced at a special ceremony on 14 May at the Hilton Hotel on Deansgate in Manchester city centre.

The Greater Manchester Cancer Awards coincide with the Greater Manchester Cancer Conference 2024 which is taking place during the day on 14 and 15 May also at The Hilton.

You can find out more about the conference and register to attend while places remain at GMCC24 – Greater Manchester Cancer (gmcancer.org.uk)

Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance is one of 21 Cancer Alliances across NHS England, and the Cancer Programme of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

The Alliance brings together clinical and managerial leaders from all hospital trusts and other health and social care organisations from across the entire region, alongside user involvement representatives and other partners, to transform the diagnosis, treatment and care for cancer patients in Greater Manchester.