Sheffield Children’s named as “Excellent” NHS Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Centre by Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has been included in a new network of 15 strong brain tumour centres for children, of which six centres are designated as “Excellent”.

Sheffield Children’s was awarded Centre of Excellence designation after a thorough, expert-led review of services by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

Sheffield Children’s met the Tessa Jowell Standards of Excellence in all aspects of treatment, care and research, with many areas of outstanding service provision. Sheffield Children’s showed great team collaboration across the patient pathway, with excellent nurse-led care in the hospital and in the community. Patients also benefit from excellent play therapy and aftercare.

Each year, around 420 children are diagnosed with a brain tumour in the UK. The nationwide review process further provides an in-depth understanding of children’s brain tumour care and research in almost every centre across the UK.

Dr Victoria Lee, Consultant Paediatric Neuro-oncologist at Sheffield Children’s said: “We are delighted to be a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for children with brain tumours. This award recognises the incredible multidisciplinary work of our clinical and research teams who have collaborated to make sure every child with a brain or spinal tumour at Sheffield Children’s has access to the best care available in hospital and in their rehabilitation and ongoing care. We see this as the beginning of further collaboration with like-minded teams and charities nationally, to continually improve services and outcomes for our children and young people.”

Dr Stephen Lowis, Lead for the Paediatric Centre of Excellence Program, who led the review process, said “In every team in every city, we found remarkable examples of exceptional and compassionate care. This initiative will support all centres across the UK to develop their services, through national collaboration and sharing of examples of excellence”

The launch of this brand-new initiative marks the first stage in a national effort to further elevate the treatment, care and research for children with brain tumours.  For families and young patients, this recognition will provide confidence in the services delivered by centres in the network.

Sheffield Children’s is one of six distinguished centres that have been awarded the coveted Centre of Excellence status, having met the high Standards of Excellence across all 168 areas 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. These centres are:

• Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
• 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