On September 25, 2024, WCA hosted the first cancer focussed research and innovation event. It was attended by people with lived of experience of cancer as well as members from national, clinical, academic, and research teams who shared and discussed how more research and innovation can be provided to benefit people living with cancer in Wessex.
Event Aims
The event was developed to,
provide an opportunity for patients, clinical staff and researchers to meet
share some of the current research and innovation being delivered in Wessex
share the National direction for research and innovation in cancer pathways
highlight the challenges experienced in delivering research and innovation projects
Through this, WCA planned for three key outcomes,
identifying how to increase awareness of patients, NHS staff and researchers around what cancer research is being delivered in Wessex
identifying how to increase access to research and innovation in cancer pathways for patients, NHS staff and researchers
identifying ways to increase the number of research trials and innovation projects being delivered in Wessex
Event Agenda
To meet the ambitious aim of the day, the morning provided the background to the current national and local experiences and the afternoon workshops enabled delegates to discuss and identify ways to increase equitable and accessible cancer research in Wessex.
Session 1:
Cancer research and innovation: the next 5 years: delivered by Professor Peter Johnson, Southampton Clinical Oncologist, Director of the Southampton Cancer Research UK centre and National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England and Chair for the National Office for Life Science “Cancer Mission”, this introductory session covered some of the successes within cancer research and innovation across England as well as highlighting the potential and national direction for research and innovation for cancer.
Session 2:
Leading national research: Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad: building on Professor Peter Johnson’s introduction to research and innovation, Dr. Victoria Goss, Head of Early Diagnosis and Translational Research at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit shared the experiences from her team’s role in setting up and delivering the national NHS clinical trial that is creating personalised cancer vaccines for people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Read more about this on the CRUK website here.
Session 3:
Delivering the benefits of national research: Genomics: delivered by Dr. Emily Shaw, Consultant Histopathologist and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at University of Southampton, and Professor Ellen Copson, Cancer lead at Central and South Genomic Laboratory Hub, this session highlighted the role genomics (how we look the genes and the role they play in changes to cells) is being used within research to improve ways we find and treat cancer.
Session 4:
Clinical Research in practice: Delivered by two presenters, Dr. Melanie Harvey, Medical Oncology Consultant, and Professor. Mark Rickenbach, visiting Professor of healthcare and education quality at the University of Winchester and GP, this session shared the experiences from delivering research in clinical environment and how this could be supported and improved.
Session 5:
Secure Data Environment (SDE):Professor Chris Kipps, Senior Reporting Officer at SDE and Mark Heffernan, SDE Operations Director, shared insight into the development of the Wessex Secure Data Environment as part of the National SDE plan. This session highlighted how the SDE is an approach that will offer a safe way of using pseudonymised patient data to approved researchers to within research projects that are looking to improve patient pathways.
Session 6:
Addressing today’s challenges for tomorrow: Rounding off the morning, Anne Croudass, CRUK Lead research nurse seconded to WCA, summarised why access to research should be a priority, the current picture in Wessex, the changing nature of trials as well as addressing some of the challenges and opportunities this brings.
Outputs from the workshops
1
How do we increase accessibility and equality?
2
Bridging the gap between experimental and part of service
3
What’s holding back capacity?
What’s next?
We are committed to continuing to champion the need to increase the accessibility and impact research and innovation has for those living with and beyond cancer.
Reflecting on the solutions discussed during and after the event, we have used these within the research and innovation chapter in our new 5-year strategy (link) and have begun work with some of delegates who attended as well as organisations such as Health Innovation Wessex, Wessex Health Partnership and regional research delivery network to determine how some of the solutions can be achieved.
Updates from this work will be posted on this page and shared through our WCA newsletter.
If you would like to get involved in developing the way we make more research and innovation available, please contact our Cancer Innovation Programme Manager on Anna.Wykes@hiwessex.net.
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