Birmingham Centre for Clinical Haematology: Queen Elizabeth Hospital
27 Apr 2018
Summary:
Company: Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Location: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Project: Newhall - Expansion of premises for clinical innovation and research
Value of GBSLEP contribution through the Local Growth Fund: £2.4 million
Value of Project: £3.4 million
Overview
A Birmingham cancer centre has undergone a multi-million pound expansion thanks to funding from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP (GBSLEP) – boosting the city’s life sciences sector and giving thousands of patients better access to world-leading lifesaving treatments.
The Birmingham Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH) was expanded in 2017 as part of a major transformation project, which saw 2,100 m2 of floor space at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital converted into premises for clinical innovation and research. Worth a total project value of £3.2 million, the expansion was made possible by a £2.4 million contribution from the GBSLEP secured via its Local Growth Fund.
The newly refurbished facility, which is run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), combines state-of-the-art clinical facilities with the very best care and support for leukaemia patients.
Professor Charlie Craddock, CBE, Director of the Centre, said:
"The expansion will allow the continued growth of our world-class clinical trials programme, ensuring Birmingham will continue to lead the global fight against all forms of blood cancer. It will immediately increase the number of lives saved and will speed the process towards establishing effective treatments for all blood cancers within 25 years.”
The opportunity
Since the centre was established in 2006 it has treated more than 10,000 patients, carried out over 60 ground-breaking clinical trials and leveraged more than £30 million of free drugs that would not otherwise have been funded by the NHS.
As a result, the centre had been running at maximum capacity due to the highly effective nature of its trials, but the expansion project will now see these numbers continue to grow. This fulfils a vision to create a centre of excellence for clinical haematology which combines outpatient and day infusion facilities, along with improved patient access to clinical and research teams when available standard treatments have been exhausted.
The new high-tech facility will support inward investment into Birmingham’s thriving Life Sciences sector, helping to keep the city at the forefront of innovation in global healthcare, including pioneering research into the treatment of blood cancers.
Delivery
In support of Greater Birmingham and Solihull’s life sciences sector, the £3.4 million expansion project began in May 2017 with the support of £2.4 million of Local Growth Funding from GBSLEP.
Why does this matter?
- The expansion has significantly boosted the centre’s capacity to carry out ground breaking clinical trials and develop innovative new treatments in the international fight against blood cancer.
- The multi-million pound refurbishment has also created a wealth of new facilities at the centre, including two additional clinic rooms and phlebotomy chairs in addition to increasing the Trust’s infusion capacity by a further 24 chairs.
- By combining state-of-the-art clinical facilities all under one roof, the centre will enhance patient experience and provide capacity to consider changing some inpatient care to outpatient settings in the future.
- In addition, the expansion project has pledged to create 75 new jobs - of which some have already been filled - lending a significant boost to the regional economy.
"The Centre for Clinical Haematology is one of our great success stories for the life sciences sector, ensuring that the region has a leading role in global healthcare and the development of new medical technologies."
"Birmingham is already home to 1,600 employees in the MedTech sector, more than any other UK regional city. Together with other assets in the area, including the Institute for Translational Medicine and planned Birmingham Life Sciences Park, GBSLEP's support for this world-leading Centre will provide continued economic growth for both Birmingham and the wider region, creating new jobs, and increasing the attractiveness of our increasingly important life sciences sector to investors."
