£40 million for cancer research in her memory
MINISTERS have pledged to double spending on brain cancer to £ 40 million following the death of Dame Tessa Jowell.
A dedicated research fund named after the former Labour cabinet minister was announced and will focus on research into new treatments to tackle the disease.
After a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May, Dame Tessa’s request for a key diagnostic test to be made available nationwide will also be honoured, ministers said.
They agreed that all hospitals will have access to ‘a gold standard’ dye to identify tumours — a test currently available in only half of brain cancer centres in England.
The UK will also host an annual Tessa Jowell global symposium, to bring together leading brain cancer experts from around the world.
The Dame Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Research Mission will focus on funding work to defeat the disease.
The grant, which includes £20million of new money, forms part of a £65 million research package announced this year.
This new funding followed a meeting between Dame Tessa, Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, in Downing Street in February.
Mrs May said: ‘Baroness Tessa Jowell faced her illness with dignity and grace — and it was a privilege to host her in Downing Street recently to discuss what more we can do to tackle brain cancer.
‘ We send our sincere condolences to her family — and I hope that the actions we are taking now and in the future to improve care and research for those confronting a terrible disease will form part of the lasting legacy of an inspirational woman.’
Mr Hunt said: ‘Tessa Jowell was one of those few politicians who could inspire and unite across party lines.
‘We were all moved by her bravery and selfless campaigning in her final months, and are determined to honour her life and memory with the action on brain cancer that she fought so hard for.
‘At this agonising time, I hope her family can draw comfort from the fact that her legacy will be lives saved and heartbreak averted for thousands of other families.’
Health Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said: ‘ I’m deeply saddened by Tessa’s death. Despite her dreadful illness, she did more than anyone to shine a light on the need to improve research and care for people with brain cancer.
‘It is a great privilege and honour to take forward this work.
‘My aim is to boost research into treatments — even cures — for brain cancer and transform care for patients in the way that Tessa called for.’
The research fund will initially consist of £65 million, but the Government aims to increase that figure each year. It is made up of £40 million of Government funding and £ 25million from Cancer Research UK.
Each year, around 11,400 people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour, and just 14 per cent of those survive the disease for ten or more years.