- On the 15th May, NHS clinicians, charity leaders and MPs gathered at the prestigious Francis Crick Institute to celebrate the achievement of fourteen centres newly designated as Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence.
- NHS teams representing UK hospital networks were awarded for the excellent treatment, care and research they provide to patients with a brain tumour, following a rigorous review process led by a committee of NHS and patient experts.
- First launched in 2020, the centres awarded in 2025 have met even higher standards in many aspects of brain tumour treatment and care, with emphasis on holistic care, advancements in genomics and access to clinical trials.
- These awards demonstrate the outstanding commitment of NHS teams to driving innovation and elevating care, even in a tight funding landscape
Brain tumours affect over 11,000 adults in the UK every year and kill more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer. In the absence of a cure, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) has committed since 2020 to ensuring all UK patients with a brain tumour can have access to the best standard of treatment, care and research, through the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence initiative, described recently by Minister Ashley Dalton as the “main national framework” in UK neuro-oncology.
Fourteen centres awarded following extensive expert-led review
On the evening of the Thursday 15th May, NHS teams from 14 neuro-oncology centres gathered with charity leaders, politicians and health leaders to celebrate their achievement as newly designated Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence, a status that lasts for three years. These centres were found to meet high standards across patient treatment, care and research, following an extensive peer-led review of their service and feedback collected from almost 1500 patients through the Brain Tumour Charity by a committee of NHS, research and patient experts.
Experts highlighted key improvements to brain tumour services made since the launch of Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence in 2020
Since 2020, centres have made key improvements in areas ranging from genomic testing and trials to rehabilitation access. 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. The experts also highlighted the achievement of three areas of the UK now covered by a Centre of Excellence (South/West Wales, South West England Peninsula and North Midlands). These improvements show the dedication of the NHS workforce to service improvement, backed up by rigorous standards, national data collection and best practice sharing.
Lord Darzi, who led the review of the NHS in England in 2024, said, “The award of fourteen 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.”
The TJBCM is delighted to announce for the first time a formal Tessa Jowell Network of all centres who participated in the review, recognising that patients across the UK can access a high quality of treatment and care, with examples in every centre of NHS staff working well beyond what was asked for, to deliver excellent care for their patients.
Professor Ros Quinlivan, who led the review process, said “Having led similar initiatives in other disease areas, I was struck by the level of commitment and compassion in all the teams who took part in the Centre of Excellence initiative, with innovative examples of treatment and care present in every centre. The most exciting part of this process is the work, already underway, to share these exceptional practices and drive forward national collaboration on key challenges.”
Funded and supported by the UK Government and the Mission’s partner charities, the nationwide review will add to TJBCM’s in-depth understanding of UK brain tumour services.
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.”
Newly announced centres have met or exceeded standards in treatment, care and research above those expected by the NHS
In each centre, the whole team treating brain tumours, from surgeons and nurses through to physiotherapists, palliative care specialists and researchers, came together to undergo a rigorous assessment of their services. Centres awarded were deemed by a panel of experts to meet the high Standards of Excellence in areas including clinical care, quality of life care and access to clinical trials/research. These centres are:
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- East Midlands Neuro-Oncology Service (Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust)
- East of England Neuro-Oncology Network
- King’s Health Partners (King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals and Kent Oncology Centre)
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Liverpool and North Wales Neuro-Oncology Network (The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre)
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford and the Thames Valley Neuro-Oncology Network (Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Northampton General Hospital, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Great Western Hospital, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Milton Keynes General Hospital)
- Plymouth and the Peninsula Neuro-Oncology Network (University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Trust and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust).
- Salford Royal Hospital and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- The South Wales Neuro-Oncology Network (University Hospital of Wales, Velindre Cancer Centre and the South West Wales Cancer Centre)
- West Midlands Neuro-Oncology Network (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
Teams representing each of these networks were presented their awards by Jess Mills, Tessa Jowell’s daughter and TJBCM co-founder. Reflecting on the newly awarded centres, Jess said “mum’s legacy to transform outcomes for brain cancer patients across the UK has reached another huge milestone. It has been so moving to witness how committed the teams caring for patients are to come on this journey with us.”
Professor Emerita Katie Bushby, TJBCM Vice Chair, said “the results of the Centre of Excellence this year show how far we have come since launching the programme in 2020, with more and more centres demonstrating tangible improvements from their engagement in the process. We have also highlighted the areas still requiring national action.”
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national cancer director said: “This is a well-deserved recognition for the NHS neuro-oncology centres across the country that are providing exemplary care for patients with brain tumours. They will now bear the name of Tessa Jowell, continuing her legacy to advance care for patients with brain tumours and offer an important model for improved care and innovation across the NHS.”
Ashley Dalton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, reflecting on the new awards, said “Every brain cancer diagnosis is life-changing for patients and their families.
“These centres of excellence are making a world of difference by giving patients the best care and treatment, backed by the latest research. That’s why I welcome this recognition for each of the fourteen centres that are showing the best of the NHS in action.
“Our National Cancer Plan will transform the way we approach cancers to further improve care and bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.”
With thanks to our partner organisations for their continued support of the TJBCM’s work.
FAQs
What is a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence?
A Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence has met the high Standards of Excellence in every area of their service. These centres demonstrate outstanding multi-disciplinary collaboration to deliver care, with exceptionally integrated and specialised services. They provide excellent research opportunities across specialities and remarkable nurse-led care.
What is the Tessa Jowell Network?
All teams which engaged in this process are now part of the Tessa Jowell Network of
neuro-oncology centres. A Tessa Jowell Network centre is recognised for delivering safe and good quality treatment in adherence with the speciality protocols; the surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are safe and effective and in adherence with speciality standards. Each network centre demonstrates impressive pockets of excellence and offers several opportunities to participate in clinical trials. Not all centres were able to renew their status from 2021, but hard work is underway with the view to announce further centres in the coming year.
How was excellence determined?
In 2024, all UK neuro-oncology centres were invited to apply to be assessed against the Tessa Jowell Standards of Excellence. The Standards of Excellence were supported by an extensive evidence base produced by leading experts in the field. They were assessed on 150+ different areas along the patient pathway from diagnosis to end-of-life to uncover challenges, variations and, vitally, areas of excellence and innovation.
What was assessed at each centre?
Service areas reviewed cover:
- Collaboration between hospitals and community services;
- Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and neurology as well as imaging and pathology;
- Rehabilitation, psychological support, supportive care to promote quality of life;
- Staff training and support for professional development;
- Research and clinical trials to continue progress in curative and kinder treatments.
Would someone have better outcomes in a Centre of Excellence?
According to cohort studies of UK patients with a glioblastoma, patient outcomes remain the same across the UK with no evidence to warrant transitions between centres; every centre was providing robust care, delivered by committed and compassionate teams.
How will the TJBCM support centres going forward?
The data collected during this review process will be used by the Mission to connect centres with outstanding national infrastructure, as well as design new initiatives and infrastructure to help address identified areas of challenge, supporting the efforts of individual centres. Through the Tessa Jowell Academy, training, networking and peer support for NHS health professionals working with patients with brain tumours will continue to be provided. Guidance will be provided to charities and governing bodies as to where to allocate funding to have the greatest impact on improving the delivery of better and more holistic patient care. These next steps for the programme will support the entire UK neuro-oncology community, accelerating improvements and ensuring excellence becomes the standard for every person diagnosed with a brain tumour.
About the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission
TJBCM is a national convening body with over 13 member organisations delivering transformative programmes to improve brain tumour research, treatment and care in the UK. It designs and delivers eight innovative programmes focused on: accelerating research, advancing precision medicine, improving care for patients and connecting and training NHS staff. Its work is funded and supported by the government through the National Institute of Health Research, as well as eight different cancer charities. Over 90 NHS doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and scientists from across the UK work daily with the Mission to design and deliver its programmes, which are jointly delivered with its partner organisations. Find out more here.
