Two years after leaving the NHS following a high-profile case involving The Christie Hospital Trust, medical oncologist and leading breast cancer expert Professor Andrew Wardley is setting out to transform cancer care through strategic site management services and clinical healthcare consultancy.
Today, the Manchester Breast Centre Co-Founder heads up the Outreach Research & Innovation Group, a national oncology centre that works alongside the NHS to enable, support, and facilitate innovations and improve access to vital cancer care.
Professor Wardley has spent 25 years working in cancer services, and since 2001 has been dedicated to leading improvements in breast cancer treatments through partnerships with NICE and the NHS England chemotherapy clinical commissioning group.
However, having noticed inequalities in cancer care and witnessing barriers to accessing advanced treatments, Professor Wardley formed Outreach Research & Innovation Group to work more closely with communities and tackle these challenges.
Outreach Research & Innovation Group is striving to support oncology teams nationwide to deliver more anti-cancer therapy trials to registration standards in the original spirit of the NHS. The aim is to improve cancer awareness, open up trials to more communities, lowering cancer mortality rates in the UK while improving access to treatments closer to home.
Professor Andrew Wardley says: ‘It’s no secret that cancer care in the UK is in a state of crisis. Evidence shows that we have a similar rate of a cancer diagnosis as other European countries, yet a notably higher mortality rate. We are lagging, and it is clear that more needs to be done.’
‘I am excited to be heading up Outreach Research & Innovation Group, which is rapidly being recognised as the go-to organisation for driving the required improvements in cancer care.’
‘Following a disruption to the improvement of equitable access to cancer treatments due to the situation with The Christie Foundation Hospital, I am delighted to be able to continue my efforts into further developing community care services and doing my part to ease the burden on cancer patients and staff treating them.’
While Professor Wardley’s efforts were delayed following the NHSI review into The Christie Hospital, the former NCRI Breast Research Group Chair is once again making huge strides towards improving cancer treatment access to diverse groups and patients.
Outreach, Research & Innovation Group’s overall aim is to tackle the health inequalities that exist across the North West in accessing cancer treatments, supporting the NHS to deliver improved cancer services through the integrated care systems while leading the way in oncology innovation.
To learn more about the Outreach Research & Innovation Group, visit here.
Professor Andrew Wardley launched the Outreach Research & Innovation Group due to his continued commitment to improving health inequalities. Developed in consultation and with support from the NHS, McKinsey Business Partners and Life Science Companies, the Healthcare Consultancy strives to improve funding for cancer innovations, increase rollout of clinical trials, and boost access to critical new cancer treatments.
Professor Wardley says: ‘We need to stop allowing cultural barriers and inexperienced leadership prevent the development of safe cancer services. This can only be done if we stop discriminating against communities and start understanding their needs.’
In less than 12 months, the Outreach Research & Innovation Group successfully drove economic growth by working with the NHS to de-risk, enable, and support innovation and research, while unleashing private sector investments.
Today, the group continues to invest proudly in this regional economic growth to help develop the UK’s innovation capability, improve performance, and boost global investments into research and innovation.
