14 Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence Announced
Cancer Research Wales has welcomed the news that 14 centres across the UK - including the South Wales Neuro-Oncology Network, have been designated Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence for their brain tumour services
Cancer Research Wales is a member of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. Brain tumours affect over 12,000 adults in the UK every year and kill more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
The 14 centres were awarded for the excellent treatment, care and research they provide to patients with a brain tumour, following an extensive peer-led review of their services and feedback collected from almost 1,500 patients.
The award gives patients the confidence that they are receiving the highest standard of care, while encouraging other hospitals to work towards higher standards of care.
First launched in 2020, centres newly-awarded in 2025 have demonstrated progress in areas such as holistic care, advancements in genomics and access to clinical trials.
Experts highlighted many new innovations within services at the centres, from the use of Virtual Reality in post-operative recovery and technology to speed up molecular diagnosis, to new models of palliative care.
The 14 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.
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 by a committee of clinical, research and patient experts.
The 14 centres are: Barts Health NHS Trust; East Midlands Neuro-Oncology Service; East of England Neuro-Oncology Network; King’s Health Partners; Leeds Teaching Hospitals; Liverpool and North Wales Neuro-Oncology Network; Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals; Oxford and the Thames Valley Neuro-Oncology Network; Plymouth and the Peninsula Neuro-Oncology Network; Salford Royal Hospital and The Christie; Sheffield Teaching Hospitals; St George’s, The Royal Marsden and Royal Surrey Hospitals; The South Wales Neuro-Oncology Network; West Midlands Neuro-Oncology Network.