Help us share our knowledge - Help give everyone with cancer the same chance

We desperately need to teach more GPs, nurses and surgeons - and give everyone with cancer the same chance. Will you help?

Since our School of Oncology opened just two years ago, it has quickly become a world leading cancer training facility. We could never have predicted its success, or that we would out grow our current facilities so quickly. Now, the only way we can ensure that every person with cancer is given the best chance possible is to expand our School of Oncology - and train more health professionals to our standard of cancer care.

Our plans for the Christie School of Oncology

We can only expand with your support

Creating a larger School of Oncology is a huge project with an equally-sized budget - it's set to cost around £1.6 million A gift from you and our other loyal supporters, today will go a long way to help us reach our target.

This project could not be more important. Quite simply, if we don't expand our teaching facility, medical professionals could miss out on vital training that could be the difference between life and death for cancer patients in the Manchester area and across the North West.

The Christie School of Oncology is one of a kind

The Christie is the only cancer centre in the UK that offers training for all health professionals - from radiographers, to surgeons and GPs.

Meet Anna Mann, occupational therapistOpen

Meet Anna Mann, occupational therapist, and see the difference your gift could make to her patients.

'I'm an occupational therapist on the Teenage and Young Adult Oncology Unit and I'm always looking for opportunities to enhance my skills. As well as attending several conferences at The Christie, I've been on a two day 'Enhanced Communication' course. It has definitely helped me to approach difficult subjects with patients that I would not have felt confident to manage previously.

Anna Mann - Occupational Therapist...

'Certain techniques I learnt such as the value of pauses, and looking for cues in conversations, have really helped me to listen to patients more effectively. 'Patients have reported that my involvement [with them] has helped to reduce their distress. I have also noticed that my referral rates have increased, as other staff members have recognised my ability to be able to support patients psychologically.'

Meet Dr Andrew HudsonOpen

How The Christie School of Oncology is helping Dr. Andrew Hudson - and his patients.

'I'm a speciality registrar at The Christie. In order to become a consultant in clinical oncology I must pass exams to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists.

Dr Andrew Hudson

'For the final exam, we are required to examine real patients. In preparation for this, the School of Oncology organises a number of mock exams, with patients from The Christie. This kind of experience is priceless.

'Once doctors have completed part one of the course, we can prescribe radiotherapy. This means patients don't always have to wait to see a consultant. It ensures doctors are a bigger asset to the department, speeding up the processes. For example, at weekends, the number of times the on-call consultant needs to be contacted is reduced. Therefore patients are seen more quickly.

'The teaching here is exceptional.'

Please make a donation and help us share our knowledge and teach more doctors, nurses, surgeons and specialist oncologists, like Andrew. Thank you.

Expanding the school of oncologyOpen

Enhancing teaching, saving lives

Since launching in 2010, The Christie School of Oncology has aspired to be a world leader in healthcare education. Our extraordinary success means our current facilities can no longer keep up with the growing demand for our oncology training. And so, we need to embark on an exciting expansion project to dramatically enhance our education centre - teaching more health professionals and improving cancer care for patients in the North West, across the UK and internationally.

Here are a few of the ways our ambitious plans will benefit cancer patients:

Improving local cancer care

With better facilities, we can train more health professionals to better care for cancer patients in their communities. By improving their knowledge and understanding of cancer, doctors and nurses will also be better equipped to identify problems and refer patients in for treatment.

Helping in emergencies

'Acute oncology' refers to medical emergencies that can occur when people
first develop cancer, or complications which can arise following treatment. By teaching acute oncology to staff in A&E departments, GPs, and junior doctors in local hospitals, we can ensure better treatment for patients in cancer related emergencies.

Enhancing life after cancer

Once in remission, many patients will have to face the rest of their lives with the physical and psychological consequences of cancer. We need to train many more non-cancer specialists in how to support people affected by cancer - at all points of the journey.