PARTICIPATING TRANSPLANT CENTRES ANNOUNCED

Twenty-two transplant centres across the UK have been selected as participating centres in the IMPACT partnership, with the aim of recruiting stem cell transplant patients onto pioneering clinical trials. The centres currently carry out more than 2,000 donor stem cell transplants a year.

Ten of the centres will receive a grant to fund an IMPACT research nurse, who will recruit patients onto trials, support them during treatment, and assist with data collection and sharing. These centres – the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Churchill Hospital, Freeman Hospital, King’s College Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, St James’ University Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol, and University College London Hospitals – will receive funding over the four-year pilot period.

The remaining twelve centres will be involved on an affiliate basis and will utilise their own capacity and resources to participate in IMPACT. The affiliated centres are Addenbrooke’s Hospital, the Christie, Derriford Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Heartlands, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Nottingham City Hospital, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, the Royal Marsden Hospital, Southampton General Hospital, and University Hospital of Wales.

All the participating centres were selected through an open, competitive application process assessed by an independent expert panel, chaired by Professor Nicolaus Kröger, President of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.