A pioneering Channel 4 programme presented by Davina McCall will broadcast live from Addenbrookeâs Hospital as part of this yearâs Stand Up To Cancer 2025.
Photo courtesy of Channel 4
The programme will highlight the expertise, innovation and dedication of clinicians in Cambridge, as Cancer Clinic: Live broadcasts from a special one-off cancer clinic at Addenbrookeâs on the evening of Friday 12th December.
By focusing on the groundbreaking work that is happening here at Addenbrookeâs as well as Royal Papworth, the show will shine a spotlight on Cambridge where the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) is set to be built. Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) is raising significant funds for CCRH, with the public being asked to raise ÂŁ100million towards the build of this groundbreaking new hospital.
For the first time on UK television, viewers of the Channel 4 programme will see clinical consultations with cancer specialists from Addenbrookeâs unfold in real time. Viewers will hear from patients and their families whose cancer journeys have been followed for several weeks from diagnosis to results, as they continue through treatment.
Producers say the aim of the programme is to demystify what happens inside a cancer clinic, tackle the fear that prevents many from seeking help, and show the life-saving impact of early diagnosis.
Although producers have not yet specified which areas of cancer will be featured within the show, there are plans to cover at least one groundbreaking project which has received funding from ACT supporters.
Cancer Clinic: Live will be part of a wider series of programmes on Channel 4 for Stand Up To Cancer, fronted by presenter Adam Hills, which will include special editions of Channel 4 shows such as Celebrity Gogglebox and The Last Leg.
This year, a new campaign by Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK will also drive awareness of NHS cancer screening programmes and raise funds for groundbreaking cancer research. A nationwide Screening Checker is being launched to allow members of the public to find out which NHS and PHA cancer screenings they are eligible for and to get advice on the screening process.
Addenbrookeâs Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is a national and regional centre for many cancers including rarer types of cancer. Its Cancer Services care for around 6,000 new patients each year, aiming to deliver the highest quality clinical care, supported by world-leading research and innovation.
Addenbrookeâs is a specialist hospital located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Cambridge is home to the largest life sciences cluster in Europe and one of the most productive communities of cancer researchers in the world, with academics from the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre and industry partners.
The campus will also be the site for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital which will bring together academia, industry and clinical excellence under one roof, to transform the way cancer is diagnosed and treated.
Stand Up To Cancer UK is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, bringing the nation together to accelerate life-saving research.
TV Presenter Davina McCall said: âI want to take the fear out of cancer screening and show everyone that they are not on their own in this. I’ve been part of Stand Up To Cancer UK since it started in 2012 and I knew for this year’s campaign I wanted to step out of the TV studio and speak to real people facing a cancer diagnosis.”
She added: âOn the night of Stand Up To Cancer I will be with incredible teams of medical professionals to demystify what happens inside a cancer clinic. Cancer Clinic: Live is about showing the reality of the incredible care, science and humanity of a cancer diagnosis, and reminding people that early diagnosis gives you options and hope.â
Cancer Clinic: Live is produced by Bango Studios and HiddenLight and the executive producers are Amy Flanagan, Emma Jay and Emily Hudd.
To find out more information about Stand Up To Cancer 2025 and the new screening campaign click here.
Addenbrookeâs CT department has seen its first scanner wrapped in nature-themed vinyls.
Jodi Gooding, a Senior Radiographer at Addenbrookeâs, said the aim of the design â as with the MRI Scanner which was wrapped back in August last year â was to âbring the outside inâ.
As part of the design, the ring of the Siemens scanner was wrapped earlier this year in a green, leafy design against the backdrop of a bright blue sky â with the walls of the windowless room covered with a photo of a bluebell wood, showing sun bursting through the branches of the trees.
Jodie said that because the scanner is not enclosed as in the case of an MRI scanner, most patients do go through with their scan first time. However, there have been cases in the past where patients havenât been able to complete their scan or really struggled to do so.
âItâs made a huge difference to patients. We donât have any windows so there is no natural light in here so people always comment about that because now it feels like we do have natural light. It makes the room look much lighter and less clinical. And it appears less scary. I think for the adults it is much more calming but for the children it feels less clinical.â
The wrap was funded by supporters of Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT). Addenbrookeâs has a total of five CT scanners onsite and two remote, with the department applying for more funds from ACT to wrap the next scanner.
David Biddle, CT Service Manager, said: âThe newly âwrappedâ CT room and scanner provides a very calm environment that helps put patients at ease during their scan.â
He said approximately 900 patients, per month, benefit from the generous donation from ACT and the department as a whole scans almost 8,000 patients per month. Since April, when this first scanner was wrapped, it has performed around 4,900 scans.
ACT is the official charity for Addenbrookeâs and funds cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide and is raising money to help build both the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and the Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital.
A leading consultant at Addenbrookeâs Hospital has thanked Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust for bringing another âfirstâ not just to Cambridge but to the UK too – helping to pioneer an ultra-fast way of diagnosing kidney cancer and cutting waiting times between when they were first referred and a decision being made about their treatment, by a month.
In an exciting new development, supporters of Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT), the official charity for Addenbrookeâs Hospital, helped fund a new piece of equipment known as a confocal microscope, which provides high resolution images of tissue samples, meaning that for the first time ever in the UK, patients with suspected kidney cancer can have a biopsy, receive a diagnosis and discuss treatment options â all on the same day.
A team of urologists, radiologists, pathologists and specialist nurses at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), which governs Addenbrookeâs Hospital in Cambridge, are using the microscope to diagnose biopsy samples in the clinic within minutes â reducing anxiety, cutting the number of hospital visits and allowing patients to begin treatment sooner.
A biopsy is often needed to determine if a lump or mass on the kidney is malignant. However, standard pathology analysis takes time to process, leaving patients potentially waiting weeks for cancer to be confirmed or ruled out, but with this new pioneering method, patients receive a diagnosis and discuss treatment options on the same day.
The ÂŁ250,000 confocal microscope, which was funded by Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) and the University of Cambridge, looks much like an office printer or scanner. More often used in dermatology, it provides high resolution images of tissue samples so once a sample is stained and scanned by the confocal microscope, pathologists at the kidney clinic can make an immediate diagnosis.
Prof. Grant Stewart
Professor Grant Stewart, consultant urologist at Addenbrookeâs Hospital and Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Cambridge said: âFor the first time in the UK, we are using a confocal microscope in this innovative way to benefit patients. Offering same day diagnosis helps reduce anxiety, cuts down on hospital appointments and means patients can have that all-important discussion with their doctor about treatment options significantly sooner.â
In research published today in European Urology Oncology, cancer waiting times for patients at the one-stop kidney Clinic, or CkOSMIC – the Cambridge kidney One-Stop Mass Investigation Clinic as it is known – were more than halved; cutting average waiting times by a month.
Patients on the typical multi-appointment pathway waited 55 days between first being referred and a decision being made about treatment, while patients at the one-stop kidney clinic waited just 25 days.
The majority of funding provided by ACT came from money left to the charity in supportersâ wills.
ACT is the official charity for Addenbrookeâs and funds cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide. Now in its 30th year, the charityâs supporters have donated more than ÂŁ150 million towards supporting innovation in patient care.
Thanking ACT supporters for their help funding this groundbreaking new approach, Professor Stewart said: âFor Addenbrookeâs Hospital to be able to take the lead on this as the first hospital in the UK to have this cutting-edge microscope is monumental and down to the kind donations of everyone who has supported our wonderful hospital charity, Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust. What patients at the hospital may not realise is that, without the support of ACT and everyone who donates to our amazing charity, we simply would not have the funds to buy innovative equipment or fund vital research here at Addenbrookeâs – and that is where we really excel, by bringing âfirstsâ to Cambridge that save lives.â
âBy donating to ACT, supporters look set to change the future practice of kidney cancer diagnosis with The Cambridge Kidney One Stop Mass Investigation Clinic (CKOSMIC) projectâ not just here, but across the UK too.â
âTo know that the majority of the funding from ACT in this instance comes from money left to the charity in peopleâs wills is incredibly humbling and as a consultant it is incredibly satisfying to be able to share with the families of these kind donors just what a difference their money has made, and will continue to make in months and years to come.â
Shelly Thake, Chief Executive at ACT, said: “I hope everyone reading this story and who has kindly donated to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust feels justly proud of the extraordinary impact this project is having, because this life saving project has been made possible because of them. This incredible piece of equipment, and the clinic that Grant has set up, is the perfect example of why ACT is here, to work with amazing clinicians and make possible their ideas that change and save lives. This project gives us a glimpse of what will be possible when the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is built – brilliant clinicians and pioneering research delivering early diagnoses and personalised treatment to change the story of cancer.”
Claire Billing, Director of Fundraising at ACT, said: âThe confocal microscope that has made this clinic possible has been paid for through gifts in wills – thousands of lives will be saved, and families touched, because these kind-hearted supporters took the decision to remember Addenbrooke’s in their wills, and wanted to make this wonderful hospital even better for future patients. This makes me proud beyond words. We take great pride in sharing with our supporters the real difference their support makes, and I hope everyone reading this who has thought about leaving a gift in their will feels inspired by the impact their future gift could make.â
Researchers compared the confocal microscope results with standard pathology tests and found the diagnoses made using the confocal microscope were both accurate and reliable. There was a 91.7% match between the diagnoses made using the confocal microscope and final pathology. In the other 8.3% of cases, the diagnoses agreed but the cancer subtype was uncertain.
Crucially, out of 48 patients evaluated in the study, none of the treatment plans made on the day at the one-stop clinic needed to be changed after their formal biopsy pathology analysis was completed.
While the confocal microscope is not intended to replace standard pathology tests â as they provide additional details like the cancer grade â the accuracy of the diagnoses made using the confocal microscope means clinicians can confidently discuss results and treatment options with patients much earlier.
Another advantage of the clinic is pathologists can instantly assess if a biopsy has been successful, if there is enough tissue to make a diagnosis, or if a second one is required. Four patients in the study were identified as needing a repeat biopsy which took place on the same day, without needing to wait and return to hospital at a later date for another appointment.
There was positive feedback from patients in the study, with 96% surveyed saying they had enough time to ask questions and consider treatment options on the day. Clinicians also supported offering a same-day diagnosis and would like to see it used more widely with 100% of urologists and pathologists agreeing the approach is suitable for initial diagnosis and treatment planning.
CkOSMIC sees two patients in each clinic, twice a week – seeing 4 patients a week and around 150 patients a year.
Prof Stewart, who is national lead for the Getting It Right First Time ideal pathway for kidney cancer and clinical director of the National Kidney Cancer Audit, helped develop new kidney cancer guidelines for NICE which recommend that more patients with suspected cancer should have a biopsy to confirm their diagnosis sooner, to treat their disease more effectively.
Prof Stewart hopes the one-stop kidney clinic approach could become standard care for renal tumour biopsies. There is also the potential for the approach to be applied to other cancers in the future.
The kidney clinic was influenced by work underway on service improvement and transformation as part of the development plans for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. The planned hospital will bring together clinical excellence and world-leading research under one roof, accelerating new innovations to help detect cancer earlier, meaning better outcomes for patients.
Click here to contribute towards future funding of cutting-edge equipment and groundbreaking research at Addenbrookeâs.
Ken Pottle, 63, visited the one-stop clinic in March after a scan for an unrelated condition showed a lump on his kidney. Following a biopsy and diagnosis of cancer, the semi-retired civil servant from Bury St Edmunds opted for thermal ablation, a treatment that uses heat to destroy tumours. Following treatment in April, he was given the all-clear a couple of weeks ago. Mr Pottle says he would not hesitate to recommend the kidney clinic.
Mr Pottle said: âIâm a very pragmatic person, so knowing I had a treatment plan in place helped me process my cancer diagnosis. Waiting to find out if you have cancer can be incredibly worrying. When I heard about the one-stop kidney clinic, I thought âwow, what a fantastic idea.â The fact that I could have a biopsy, receive a diagnosis and talk through treatment options with my doctor there and then, all on the same day, made such a difference.
Mr Pottle, who has five children and two grandchildren added: âFive months on from my treatment, Iâve now been given the all-clear. Iâm back at work and enjoying life, spending time with my children and grandchildren, and getting back on my motorbike. The whole process has been brilliant.â
Photos: Copyright Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH)
A leading hospital charity in the East of England has been praised for its early investment in promising medical professionals at the start of their careers â providing them with the support they need to help bring potential breakthroughs in patient care and treatments.
Speaking at last weekâs annual John Addenbrooke Lecture (JAL), organised by Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust, Roland Sinker, CBE, Chief Executive of the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), which governs Addenbrookeâs Hospital and the Rosie Maternity, said: âIn this ecosystem at the absolute heart are the donors and the major partners and thatâs why it is so fantastic to have a partner like Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) who are at the centrepiece of trying to help us move this ecosystem forward, often providing us with the pump priming funding, the impetus, the additional step that we need to take things forward.â
âIf we look at what ACT has delivered for this ecosystem, the range of things is really quite staggering… everything from precision breast cancer, which has turned itself into big national changes to pathways; support in surgical robotics, and at the heart of the patient story, the work around My ICU voice which lets patients – when they are at their most vulnerable – communicate with the team who are looking after them and their family.âÂ
The lecture, which was held at AstraZenecaâs building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, brings together ACT supporters and donors to highlight the impact of the charityâs work â made possible only through the direct support of donors.
This yearâs speakers were Dr Aditi Vedi, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist and Clinical Trialist and Professor Richard Mair, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgical Oncology at the University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon at Addenbrookeâs Hospital, who during his talk âTransforming Survival in Brain Cancerâ thanked ACT for funding a fellowship which gave him the launch pad for his career.
Dr Vedi also thanked ACT, discussing how supporters of the charity had helped enhance patient access to trials in Cambridge through operational funding and co-funding research alongside commercial and research partners.
Speaking after the lecture, Paul White, Director of Communications and Impact at ACT, said: âWe are incredibly proud of our track record of identifying and backing brilliant medical professionals early in their careers. We are very fortunate that our wonderful supporters provide us with the funds â and trust â to be able to support people like Richard and Aditi because we can see their brilliance and potential. By giving them the launchpad for their career, by providing funding for their fellowship, it means they have the potential to develop their research further which in turn gives them the potential to provide a breakthrough in patient care and treatments further down the line.â  Â
âWhat both our speakers at this yearâs JAL have talked about â more targeted therapies and precision medicine â is at the forefront of the care that will be provided at the two new hospitals weâre building here in Cambridge; the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and the Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital. These hospitals will bring amazing clinicians like Richard and Aditi together to progress diagnosis and treatment of illnesses we should be beating faster than weâve ever been able to before. Every one of the supporters that joined us at this event have been part of the unique ecosystem that is providing hope to children with cancers and patients with brain tumours, and they should feel very proud of that.â
Professor Mair said the title of his presentation – âTransforming Survival in Brain Cancerâ, was âprobably more of an optimistic title than anything necessarily grounded in fact at the moment. But I do think weâre on the start of a journey that perhaps we could have some impact that would be transformational.â
Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust funded Professor Mairâs Fellowship back in 2013 â with Professor Mair telling the audience, âThe only people who gave me a chance were ACT.âÂ
âI got my first break with ACT to come down to Cambridge to do some research so I am hugely grateful for what ACT was able to do for me and my career, so itâs wonderful to be able to give that back a little bit and talk about what weâve been doing in brain cancer.â
Professor Mair spoke about his work on the Minderoo Precision Brain Tumour Programme (MPBTP), a collaboration between the Minderoo Foundation, the University of Cambridge, the NHS and Illumina which aims to give more precise and effective care for brain cancer patients on the NHS, with the potential to revolutionise treatment and improve survival rates.
Patients with the most aggressive and fatal form of brain tumour, called glioblastoma, are being offered a detailed diagnosis and tailored treatment plan, based on genomic sequencing.
In her talk, Dr Vedi spoke about the importance of not just looking at targeted treatments but also reducing therapies where possible â telling the audience, âObviously, targeted therapies are a part of it but I think reducing therapy is going to be the key.âÂ
Praising both speakers, ACTâs Chief Executive Shelly Thake, pictured below, said: âWhat I see in Aditi is someone who rings true of every clinician that I meet in the hospital â someone who is dedicated, committed and someone who wants to go one step further every time for their patients.â
And of Richard, she said: âThe future of patients that get brain cancer and brain tumours is very much more hopeful with the work that youâre doing with your colleagues both locally and globally and that is hugely encouraging.â
ACTâs President Dame Mary Archer, who was at the Lecture, praised ACTâs ability to invest in promising medical professionals early in their careers and said: âI’m very honoured and proud to be the President of ACT at this momentous anniversary time and I think ACT can be congratulated on spotting Richard’s potential so early on.âÂ
ACT is the official charity for Addenbrookeâs and funds high-tech equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide. This year the charity celebrates its 30th year â and has revealed that in the first 30 years alone its supporters have donated more than ÂŁ150 million towards supporting innovation in patient care. Â
Click here to donate to ACT to help fund ground-breaking research and cutting-edge equipment within our hospitals.
Click here to find out more about the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and to donate.
The mum and stepdad of a special little boy who âtouched so many peopleâs livesâ have pledged to raise over ÂŁ100,000 in his memory after he died from a rare incurable disease, aged 11, in September last year.Â
Elliott-James Heslop, or Elliott as he was known to family and friends, was diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease called TTC7A deficiency when he was just three months old; a condition that causes diarrhoea, inflammation of the intestines, bowel obstructions, immune dysfunction, and an inability to absorb nutrients.
He had his first surgery at just a few hours old and underwent multiple surgeries to try and fix strictures in his bowel. Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and Elliott had to have an Ileostomy. Unable to absorb nutrients in the usual way, Elliott was TPN-dependent from birth, meaning artificial nutrients were given to him via a central line called a Hickman Line.
Elliott spent the first eleven months of his life in hospital and at just eight months old underwent a bone marrow transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
His condition meant that when he was at his worst, he couldnât walk very far as it affected his bone density and muscle mass. It also prevented him from joining a football team or going on school residentials. It also restricted what Elliott was able to do in a day as he would need to be home at certain times for his TPN treatment, which also meant the family were not able to go abroad. However, mum Kayleigh Eley and husband, Ross, Elliottâs stepdad, from Cambourne in Cambridgeshire, said Elliott loved trips to caravan parks â and said he went swimming for the first time last year after finding out about a special wetsuit he could wear in the water.
Despite the impact of his condition, Kayleigh and Ross said Elliott never moaned.
âHe would have his moments like with football, where he would say I wish I could play football, but it would only be the odd comment now and then. He never moaned, he just got on with it,â Kayleigh said.
Although they always knew Elliott’s condition was incurable, Kayleigh said it was still a shock when he died.
âEven though you know itâs not curable you just kind of live every day and go with it. But we didnât expect him to go downhill as quickly as he did.â
It was in December 2023, that Elliott caught the flu, which impacted his liver and meant he needed to be assessed for transplant again. Kayleigh and Ross were told Elliott would be listed for a multi-visceral transplant, but ten days later after Elliottâs condition worsened, he was rushed back into hospital with painful pancreatitis and in July last year, the family were given the devastating news that Elliottâs condition could no longer be treated. Sadly, Elliott passed away in September.
Kayleigh and Ross, who have three-year-old daughter, Maddison, together, and Scarlett, 15, and Florence, 7, both from previous relationships, set about fundraising to create some special memories with Elliott before his death as well as raise money for the Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital (CCH), through Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT).
The Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital is set to be built by 2030 and will be the first specialist childrenâs hospital for the East of England; the only region in the UK without one. Bringing together clinical excellence from two NHS Trusts with pioneering research from the University of Cambridge, the new five-storey 35,000sqm hospital will be based at the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Europeâs largest biomedical campus.
After writing to Elliottâs favourite football team, West Ham, every day for three months, Ross finally got lucky and both he, Elliott and Scarlett were invited down to West Ham for a training session with the players, where Elliott got to meet one of his favourites, James Ward-Prowse, and walk onto the field as a team mascot.
Ross â who came into Elliottâs life at six years old â describes himself as a âbonus dadâ rather than stepdad and said: âI feel really privileged to have had Elliott in my life. Heâs like the son I never had.â
Kayleigh describes her son as âcheeky, funny, very caring and very sensitiveâ adding, âSo many people have said to me how he really touched their lives. I know heâs amazing because heâs my child and I know how great he is, but he did, he really touched other peopleâs lives.â
As for how they are, Ross says: âI donât think I have accepted it yet because I donât want to. The worst thing about it is, is that life just keeps on going on around you. Itâs the worst pain ever. Iâd rather someone chopped off my legs than this. Elliott was my bonus child and the way I feel is the worst feeling ever.â
Mum Kayleigh said: âPeople think you are ok but we have to be because we have our other kids. But I still expect to see him sometimes. Sometimes you look and think he is going to be there.â
Ross said he came off Facebook for six months after Elliottâs death because he found all the memories too painful and says: âEvery day is different. Every hour is different.â
The couple say they remember Elliott as the cheeky little boy who would play pranks on his family, including the time he hid inside Scarlettâs wardrobe and started playing with the LED lights on her ceiling before jumping out to scare her.
Kayleigh also speaks movingly about Elliottâs best friend who keeps a picture of Elliott in his bedroom and a candle to remember him by and when he has had a bad day, will still call Elliottâs phone to leave a message.
Ross and Kayleigh say the number eleven has come up a lot in their lives – both before, and since, Elliottâs death aged eleven. When Ross completed a charity walk from his home in Cambourne to the West Ham grounds they arrived at 11am. West Ham also honoured Elliottâs memory by clapping him during a game at the eleventh minute and after moving house recently, they moved to number eleven, with Ross saying – âElliott will never leave us. Not in a million years.â
The couple have pledged to raise ÂŁ100,000 for the new Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital, through Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) as a way of thanking Addenbrookeâs for the amazing care Elliott received since birth â describing his consultant, Dr Camilla Salvestrini, as âamazingâ.
Although their target is ÂŁ100,000, Kayleigh and Ross are hoping to boost their target to ÂŁ125,000 so that they can fully equip one of the rooms within the Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital and have it named after Elliott.
âWeâd love to have something named after Elliott in his memory,â said Kayleigh, âand know that we helped fund something that would be for the whole community. Itâs raising money for the next generation of children and supporting all the families that will be going there.â
Fundraising efforts so far have included the walk from their home in Cambourne to the West Ham football grounds; a children’s sponsored swim; a 30th tea party in July to celebrate ACTâs 30th and a72-hole golf challenge at Cambridge Country Club earlier this month, with a 9-hole lesson donated by PGA Professional Joel Rickard.
Rossâ next challenge will be this September, when he and his boss will complete the walk along Hadrianâs Wall over three days, setting out on the 11th.
Surgeons from the robotic surgery team at Addenbrookeâs Hospital in Cambridge have said they donât believe fully autonomous robots will ever replace them â but say they could foresee a future where they work alongside them, as in the aviation industry.
Surgons using the robot equipment during surgery
Speaking after their guest appearance on yesterdayâs (Sunday 27 June) ACTâs Amazing People – a radio collaboration between Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) and Cambridge Radio – surgeons Siong-Seng Liau and Michael Powar were asked for their views on the future of robotic surgery, following a recent story to come out of the States, where researchers from Johns Hopkins University reported that a robot had performed realistic surgery on its own with 100% accuracy.
The robot, trained on videos of surgeries, was able to remove a gallbladder from a life-like patient, performing a total of 17 tasks within the surgery, performing with the expertise of a skilled human surgeon, even during unexpected scenarios typical in real-life medical emergencies.
Asked where he could see the future of robotic surgery going, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon Michael Powar said he did not think robots would ever work fully autonomously but did say he could foresee a future where robots would work alongside surgeons in theatre, much like co-pilots work alongside pilots in the aviation industry.
âThere may be opportunities for AI and automated systems to co-pilot and support or automate certain parts of the procedure in theatre but again there are other aspects such as the ethics of this and who takes responsibility, so lots of things to consider but it is exciting and interesting and as long as it benefits patients that is the important thing.â
Mr Siong-Seng Liau, a Consultant Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon and Chair of the Robotic Steering Group at Addenbrookeâs, stressed the importance of keeping the âhumanâ element of operations, saying: âOne of the things we must emphasise is that surgery is not just technical surgery. It is that relationship with the patient as well – and that can never be replicated from the robot standpoint and that is something you have heard about in the show in the case of my patient, Ms Hemming. It is so critical in ensuring that patients progress smoothly through the operation, especially complex operations like hers.â
Mr Liau and Mr Powar were interviewed on Sundayâs show, alongside Mr Liauâs patient, 76-year-old Ms Stephanie Hemming, from Cambridge, who was operated on using the da Vinci robotic system donated to Addenbrookeâs by ACT supporters.
L-R Consultant Colorectal Surgeon Michael Powar with Consultant Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgeon Siong-Seng Liau and patient Stephanie Hemming
Discussing her surgery on the show, Ms Hemming, who now has a successful âsecondâ career in art following her retirement, spoke about her operation which involved 70% of her pancreas being removed along with her entire spleen following a shock diagnosis of pancreatic cancer â with the operation described by Mr Liau as âa very major surgery with high complexity given the proximity of the cancer to some very important vessels and structures.â
ACT is the official charity for Addenbrookeâs and funds high-tech equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.
This year, ACT celebrates its 30th year â and has revealed that in the first 30 years alone its supporters have raised more than ÂŁ150 million towards supporting innovation in patient care.
Talking about the benefits of robot-assisted surgery, both consultants spoke about less invasive surgery, faster recovery times and quicker home times for patients.
The da Vinci Xi robotic system has also allowed some âfirstsâ to take place at Addenbrookeâs since ACT supporters funded the robot back in 2023 – including what has been named âSurgery Super Sundayâ – where a team of highly-skilled robotic surgeons and clinical staff carried out a record number of gallbladder removal operations in a single day using high-tech robots that assist with keyhole surgery.
In addition, the same highly trained team of surgeons and clinical staff have now been able to perform their first âdoubleâ robot-assisted surgery, operating on a cancer patient whose bowel cancer had spread to his liver. Following chemotherapy, the patientâs bowel cancer was removed by robot-assisted surgery, at the same time as the tumour in his liver.
âThe patient knew everything was taking place at the same time and he didnât have the anxiety and anguish of two separate procedures, recovering from one and getting well enough to have the second operation because that can take its time as well,â Mr Powar explained.
Stephanie Hemming post-op
Talking about her experience of having cutting-edge, robot-assisted surgery at Addenbrookeâs in January, Mr Liauâs patient, Ms Hemming, said her pancreatic cancer was only discovered by chance.
Having undergone another type of cutting-edge surgery at Royal Papworth six months earlier â a TAVI procedure, which is an alternative to open heart surgery where a new heart valve is inserted using a catheter whilst the patient is under sedation, Ms Hemming went to hospital with a âstrange feelingâ in her chest â which she said she only reported because of her earlier heart surgery. Further investigations revealed she had Stage One pancreatic cancer, a very aggressive type of cancer that is normally discovered at a much later stage.
Describing herself as âluckyâ – not just for her early cancer diagnosis but also for being lucky enough to live in Cambridge and undergo two lots of cutting-edge surgery, including robot-assisted surgery – Ms Hemming also spoke about the importance of the emotional connection between surgeons and their patients, praising Mr Liau for his ability to be both âwarm and authoritativeâ, adding: âWho would look forward to their meetings with a surgeon? But I would. Heâs just a very nice man.â
Apart from many of the operational questions, Mr Liau and Mr Powar were also asked about the atmosphere in the operating theatre â with Mr Liau comparing the inside of the operating theatre to âa well-orchestrated symphony, where you have multiple members of the team doing their own respective roles and responsibilities to ensure the operation completes safely. Apart from not having music of course.â
A Cambridge Institution has joined forces with a much-loved hospital charity to launch its 30th birthday celebrations.
This year, Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT), the official hospital charity for both Addenbrookeâs and the Rosie hospitals, is celebrating its 30th birthday.
To mark this special milestone, Fitzbillies in Cambridge hosted the launch of the birthday celebrations at its shop and tea rooms in Trumpington Street on Thursday 15 May â with a special gathering of fundraisers and hospital staff, all of whom have been directly involved with the work of the charity.Â
For its 30th year, ACT is asking fundraisers to âpour a little kindnessâ for the hospitals by hosting a tea party for Addenbrookeâs.
Keeping with the theme, Fitzbillies, which has been serving Chelsea Buns and hearty breakfasts since 1920, unveiled a special window display which will be there for all its customers to see from now until September.
As the official charity for Addenbrookeâs and the Rosie, ACT funds equipment and research, as well as improvements to the environment for both staff and patients, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide â and in the past 30 years alone, has invested more than ÂŁ150 million in the hospitals.
The charity evokes a fierce sense of loyalty amongst its fundraisers, many of whom start their fundraising journey as a result of care that either they, or close family members or friends have received at the hospitals. As a result, fundraisers for ACT work tirelessly towards hitting their targets â many of them continuing to do so through some quite challenging times in their lives.
To mark those personal journeys, all of the guests at Thursdayâs birthday event had some kind of personal involvement and story to tell. Guests included:
Consultant Colorectal and Robotic Surgeon, Atanu Pal, who ran a 26-mile virtual London Marathon during Covid, spelling the word ROBOT, to help fundraise for ACTâs ÂŁ1.5 million public appeal to buy a da Vinci Xi dual console surgical system for the hospital â which with the hospitalâs existing robotic surgical systems has allowed some groundbreaking âfirstsâ to happen.
Ingela Oberg, Lead Cancer Nurse at CUH, who spoke to guests about all the cancer services ACT had directly funded including an outpatientâs garden and a modern, spacious Haematology Day Unit for patients with blood cancers which has allowed 200 more patients to be seen every month.
Senior midwives Annie West, Tanya Cole and Becky Anderson who were part of a team of midwives who tackled Snowdon and the Yorkshire Three Peaks for ACT â raising over ÂŁ8,000 for the charity. ACT donated ÂŁ7.5 million towards the cost of a new extension to the Rosie maternity hospital, which was opened by the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in 2013 and included an expanded birth centre and one of the biggest neonatal units in the UK.
Fundraiser Joyce Cripps and her daughter Julie Halls. Joyce has pledged to fundraise for ACT âto the end of my daysâ after daughter Julie underwent a lifesaving liver transplant at Addenbrookeâs. Joyce and her husband John are now close to raising ÂŁ30,000 for Addenbrookeâs by the end of the year.
ACT was born out of two existing charities dating back to the 1990s â when a group of fundraisers got together to raise money for the first full body scanner in the City.
Since then, ACT has donated in excess of ÂŁ150 million to the hospitals and as well as funding research and equipment for Addenbrookeâs and the Rosie, it is behind two major public campaigns to see the building of two new groundbreaking hospitals in the City â the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) and the Cambridge Childrenâs Hospital.
Fitzbillies owners Tim Hayward and partner Alison Wright said it had been an easy decision to support ACT after Tim – described by The Irish Times as âarguably of the worldâs best food writersâ â was admitted to Addenbrookeâs in November 2020 with COVID-19. He required treatment using a ventilator and suffered a pulmonary embolism. He was discharged after a month, having spent 14 days in a coma, and later described himself as “lucky to have lived.”
Tim gave a very moving speech on the day, bringing a few tears to peopleâs eyes as he thanked staff for his amazing care.
âMy gratitude to Addenbrookeâs knows no bounds; I wouldnât be here without the excellent staff and support of the hospital. Thank goodness for world-class care and the fantastic work of ACT. Long may it continue.â
As part of their support, Fitzbillies has designed a special 30th chocolate cupcake for ACT, and for each one sold during the month of July, the bakery will donate ÂŁ1 to the charity. In addition, Fitzbillies will donate 20% of sales from the Addenbrookeâs collection of tea party items including scones, jam and cream, which can be found on their website.
Fitzbillies Co-Owner Alison Wright, who won a lifetime achievement award in the Cambridge Independent Business Awards 2024 for rescuing the 104-year-old iconic bakery and cafe, said: âWeâre delighted to be supporting such a wonderful organisation this summer. So many of our customers have a connection to Addenbrookeâs, either as residents of Cambridge or as medical or research staff at the hospital. The work of saving and improving lives is vital, and Fitzbillies is honoured to be able to contribute even in a small way during this milestone year of the charity. We love any excuse for cake, and we hope that our chocolate cupcake will raise plenty for ACT in July.â
Speaking at the launch of the charityâs 30th birthday celebrations, the charityâs Chief Executive, Shelly Thake, pictured third from left with ACT colleagues, said:
âWith Fitzbilliesâ kind support it means two much-loved institutions within the City can join forces to raise money for a very special cause. Anyone wanting to host their own tea party for Addenbrookeâs can use Fitzbilliesâ own recipes for their popular chocolate cake and scones which are included in a special tea party pack which can be ordered on our website.â
Consultant Colorectal and Robotic Surgeon, Atanu Pal, who fundraised for the da Vinci robot, said: âAddenbrookeâs Charitable Trust has a huge impact in our hospitals, on a daily and ongoing basis, for patients and staff. Walking through the hospital, I see how the kind and generous supporters of the charity make a huge difference. Through the Robot Appeal, this fantastic support got us across the finish line to bring the benefits of robotic surgery to more patients in Cambridge.â
âI was involved in fundraising for this. When I ran my 26-mile Virtual London Marathon back in 2021, during the pandemic, I really wanted to help raise funds for the new robot because, as surgeon here, I knew the great impact it would have on patient care, as well as in our work as surgical teams. Robot-assisted surgery is less invasive, being done through smaller incisions than open surgery, so promoting a faster recovery, reducing the hospital stay, so that patients can get back to their homes and families sooner.â
Pictured at the time of his Virtual Marathon, with his route above, Atanu said: “Now when I think back to my run, proudly wearing my ACT running shirt, I remember passing some of Cambridgeâs most iconic landmarks – the beautiful university buildings, the river, and of course Fitzbillies – my go-to for sweet treats as a medical student! I feel really proud to have been part of the team of supporters who helped ACT hit its ÂŁ1.5 million target to buy the da Vinci robotic system. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference ACT and their supporters make to the lives of those in our two hospitals and I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the 30th birthday of such an important charity.â
Ingela Oberg, Lead Cancer Nurse at CUH, said: âEvery day around 13 people face a new cancer diagnosis at CUH. Over the last few years, Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust has transformed cancer services at the hospital by funding projects such as the outpatientâs garden to allow cancer patients a quiet haven away from the hospital; a state-of-the-art surgical robot allowing minimally invasive surgery for prostate patients; a modern, spacious Haematology Day unit for patients with blood cancers allowing 200 more patients to be seen every month; 2 ECP machines to treat the terrible side effects following bone marrow transplantation and a âBiopseeâ machine to diagnose and identify prostate cancer.â
âACTâs support does not stop there, however, and donations to the charity will go towards the building of the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH), to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus by 2029. As the first specialist cancer hospital for the East of England, it will allow clinicians to detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely and save more lives.â
Annie West, a senior midwife at the Rosie, said: âWeâve had ultrasound scanners and cots bought for us by Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust so we get to see first-hand what money is being spent on – which is why as a team we decided to take on two challenges to help raise some money ourselves; Mount Snowdon in 2023 followed by the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge a year later. Knowing how important ACT is to the hospital is what kept us going during both our challenges and to know we raised over ÂŁ8,000 for the charity is such a satisfying feeling!â
The 14 runners â each with their own very personal stories and reasons for running â completed Sundayâs Marathon on behalf of Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) in what is one of the most celebrated events in the London calendar with over 50,000 runners coming together to raise money for a sea of good causes.
The total raised for ACT so far is just over ÂŁ30,000, with donations still coming in.
The ACT Cheer Squad
Thanking all of the charityâs runners, Bridget Parr, ACTâs Community Fundraising Co-ordinator, said:
“All of them did amazingly. To be able to support them over the last year has been a real honour for me, just to be part of their journey. They are all so inspiring. They all have their own reasons for running â from people whose children have been ill or had life-saving operations, to another running in memory of a friend they lost, to one of our runners, who broke her neck and wasnât sure she would ever be able to walk again, much less run, so to be there with her family when she passed our cheer point, was very emotional.â
Bridget was part of the ACT âcheer squadâ along with the charityâs Head of Community Fundraising, Donna Lee-Willis, positioned to the side of St Paulâs Church in Shadwell â so able to cheer runners at both the 13.5-mile mark and the 22.5-mile mark.
Thanking all of the amazing runners, Donna Lee-Willis, Head of Community Fundraising at ACT, said:
âLondon Marathon is by far one of my favourite events of the year. Watching thousands of people run, walk, jog the streets of London all for causes close to their hearts is emotional and inspiring. I cannot thank Team Addenbrookes enough – you are all simply incredible and we are all super proud of you. I have been cheering on runners at this event for 22 years and every year it fills me with total admiration. The money you have raised for ACT will enable us to continue making our hospital great. THANK YOU SO MUCH.â
All 14 ACT runners completed Sundayâs marathon, but for one, Sarah Barnard-Mitcham, it proved a real challenge after spraining her ankle on a water bottle at the start. She wasnât feeling great around the 13-mile mark but walked with her sister â and carried on despite not feeling great, completing the 26.2-mile challenge in just over six hours.
Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust also got a mention in live coverage of the event when Liza Putwain was interviewed by BBC Sport reporter, Jeanette Kwakye, on the day, interviewing her on her way round the course.
Liza (pictured left) wanted to run for Addenbrookeâs as a way of thanking staff who cared for her after she broke her neck in a freak accident when she was flipped from an inflatable object during an assault course. The mum-of-three had been running the course in memory of her husband Ian, who had died unexpectedly eight months earlier.
Describing how amazing it was to be part of the London Marathon, the film studies teacher from just outside Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk said:
“It sounds corny but when you are running it, it just feels like the whole city just loves each other in a world where thereâs so much negativity at the moment. It feels like you are a Premiership footballer because everybody is calling your name and wanting you to win. Itâs like they are on your team and cheering you on. I heard âLiza come on you can do itâ thousands and thousands of times on Sunday.â
She said the special, emotional moments for her were seeing her three children, Ella, 17, Sophie, 13, and Charlie 11, on the side lines with her sister and niece. Other memorable moments including spotting two signs â Remember Your Why â and one that, she says, is her own mantra â We Can Do Hard Things â which is not surprising when you hear Lizaâs own story.
“I say it all the time, to my kids particularly, and they say it back to me when Iâm struggling. Itâs like we say, we can do hard things. Life is tough but we can get through this, we can do it, so when I saw that sign I was like âoh my gosh, thatâs my mantra.â
Asked what she is planning next, Liza said she is thinking of applying for a ballot place in the 2026 London Marathon but deferring for a year. She is also planning to run a half marathon with her niece â and do a HYROX event too.
âI was talking to another runner and we were saying it was like childbirth. Itâs like, in that moment when you have just run the London Marathon, youâre like, âoh my gosh, that was horrific I will never do that again. And then you get the post marathon high and youâre like, âthis is amazingâ and before you know it you are signing up to do it again.â
Just some of the more personal reasons runners had for taking part include:
Will Hemsley, running for ACT to thank staff at Addenbrookeâs Hospital who cared for his close friend Josh, who sadly lost his life in 2016, aged just 18.
Liza Putwain, with her story above.
Alfie Lowe who fundraised for ACT last year after his friend Rhuey was diagnosed with Hodgkinâs Lymphoma, raising ÂŁ1,500 for the charity by hiking the Edale skyline. This year, he ran the London Marathon in memory of his friend Alex Paterson, who they lost last year â saying: âAlex was one of the most loyal, caring and genuine people I knew, and heâs left a giant hole in a lot of our hearts.â
Chris Loveday whose wife Carly underwent a live kidney transplant at Addenbrookeâs in 2010. Carly fell pregnant in 2011 and was seen at regular intervals by both the transplant team and specialists at the Rosie. Nearly 2 years after her transplant, Carly was admitted to the Rosie with complications and the family were told to expect the worst â and daughter Flo was born by emergency C-section, 7 weeks premature and with life-threatening complications. Flo was cared for initially on NICU for 2 weeks and remained in special care in the Rosie for a further 3 weeks. Thanking Addenbrookeâs and the Rosie for all their care, Chris shared the news that this year, daughter Flo becomes a teenager!
Sarah Barnard-Mitcham (pictured below) who was treated at Addenbrookeâs after being diagnosed with High-Grade DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ) following a mammogram. Describing the care she received at Addenbrookeâs, Sarah said: âThroughout this process, the care Iâve received at the Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke’s has been nothing short of exceptional.â The hospital is also supporting her sister, Stephanie, as she navigates Early Onset Alzheimerâs, having been diagnosed at just 47. Sarah added: âOver the years, Addenbrooke’s has supported not just my family but countless others in our community. Thatâs why Iâve chosen to fundraise for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.â
ACT thanked all this yearâs âamazing runnersâ who were: Alex Tarrant, Chris Loveday, Will Hemsley, Richard York-Weaving, Josh Scarlett, Michelle Meads, Liza Putwain, Jack Smith, Ben Smith, Alfie Lowe, Amy De Selincourt, Darren Godfrey, Sarah Barnard-Mitcham, and Tanya Wagstaff.
All of the money raised from Sundayâs marathon will go to Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT), the official charity for Addenbrookeâs Hospital and the Rosie. ACT funds cutting-edge equipment, groundbreaking research, and improvements to the environment for both staff and patients, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.
** If you would like to run for Team Addenbrookeâs in the 2026 London Marathon, sign up now for one of ACTâs charity places.
Runners who would like to apply for a place have until Monday 9 June at 9am. Anyone who is shortlisted will then be offered a telephone interview to talk about their fundraising plans and reasons for running â with TEAM ADDENBROOKES announced the week commencing Monday 23 June.
ACT is encouraging those who have lost loved ones to remember them by taking part in a special fundraising event throughout the month of May.
Walk to Remember encourages those who have lost someone close to them to walk 30 miles in their memory.
âIt can be anywhere from a walk in one of your favourite places â to somewhere that holds special memories of your loved one,â said Emily Willdigg, Community Relationships Manager at Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT).
Explaining why the event was so special for people, Emily said: âLosing someone you love, whether itâs a husband, wife, child, parent, grandparent or friend, is such a hard thing to go through and often one of the things people find the hardest is being able to talk about their loss afterwards. Even if they have people close to them that they can talk to, there are always going to be those times when the experience of losing someone can feel very sad and isolating.â
âWith Walk to Remember, what we really want to do is to be able to give people that special way to remember the person they have lost and acknowledge the imprint that that person has left on their heart.â
Funds raised from Walk to Remember will go to Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT), the official charity for Addenbrookeâs and the Rosie hospitals that funds cutting-edge equipment, groundbreaking research, and improvements to the environment for both staff and patients, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.
Anyone who takes part in Walk to Remember is being asked to raise a suggested minimum sponsorship of ÂŁ150. In addition to this, walkers can post a special message on a dedication wall on the charityâs website â allowing them to post photos with special messages to their loved ones.
âThe dedication wall is such a lovely way for people to really honour and remember the person they lost and to share those lasting memories of the person they love,â Emily added.
One of the fundraisers who took part in the event last year, and posted a memory of her husband Jonathan, was Rachael Tuley-Auld, from Cambridge.
âI decided to take part in last year’s Walk to Remember, to pay tribute to my beloved late husband Jonathan. So many Addenbrooke’s staff, who cared for Jonathan over the 13 months he battled to recover, were truly remarkable. We were married in the Lewin Rehabilitation Unit, shortly before he died, so the hospital will be forever close to my heart.â
âWalking over a mile each day enabled me to reflect on and honour his memory, whilst raising funds for Addenbrooke’s. Highlights included following the Dinky Door trail around Cambridge, as well as seeking out the giraffe installations dotted around the city.”Â
In 2025, Addenbrookeâs Charitable Trust (ACT) will celebrate three decades of making a differenceâand weâre inviting supporters to mark this milestone in an extraordinary way, joining us for the adventure of a lifetime: a trek across the Great Wall of China in May 2026!
This unforgettable challenge combines breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and the opportunity to support groundbreaking care and research at Addenbrookeâs Hospital.
Over five days, participants will explore a remote section of the iconic Great Wall, trekking from Gubeikou to Jinshanling and Simatai. Along the way, theyâll be immersed in the stunning scenery of green hills and mountain peaks while walking in the footsteps of history.
But the journey doesnât stop at the wall itself. Trekkers will enjoy authentic Chinese cultural experiences, including stays in traditional guesthouses and delicious local cuisine, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
âWe are so excited to expand our portfolio of events and launch this bespoke, international trek to our supporters,â saysâŻBec Beattie, Community Fundraising Manager. âThis is an amazing way to experience a bucket list destination all while raising funds for the Addenbrookeâs and Rosie Hospitals. Making a difference to patientsâ lives whilst having the experience of a lifetime.âÂ
This tough but rewarding challenge is perfect for anyone looking to push themselves while making a meaningful difference. With justâŻ30 exclusive places availableâone for each year of ACTâs incredible impactâitâs an opportunity to celebrate this milestone in a truly unforgettable way.
Discover More: To learn more about this incredible adventure, join ACT for a discovery evening: When:âŻThursday, 23rd January 2025, 6:00 PM Where:âŻThe Old Bull Inn, 56 High Street, Royston SG8 9AW Register:âŻEmailâŻfundraising@act4addenbrookes.org.ukâŻto secure your spot.Â
