Jowell to have legacy in cancer care
DAME TESSA JOWELL’S dying wish – that NHS cancer patients be offered experimental methods of treatment – will be granted as part of her “lasting legacy”, ministers announced last night.
Theresa May agreed a new £20million fund to fight the disease as she paid tribute to the “inspirational” former Labour minister, who died aged 70 on Saturday night, a year after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
As leading figures from across the political divide and from the world of sport united in praise of the “heroically brave” former culture secretary and Olympics minister,
her family said she had passed away in the arms of her husband and two children. Ella Mills, the wife of Dame Tessa’s son Matt, said the family had told Dame Tessa she would “live forever in the centre of their souls”.
Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, said that “her legacy will be lives saved and heartbreak averted for thousands of other families” as his department arranged the roll-out of a series of treatments Dame Tessa had called for.
The Prime Minister praised her “dignity and courage” in confronting “a terrible disease”.
Dame Tessa, who spent her final months campaigning for better cancer care, died “peacefully” at her Warwickshire home on Saturday night after suffering a brain haemorrhage the previous day, which left her in a coma.
Ms Mills wrote in a tribute posted online: “Tessa was the warmest and kindest soul… the bravery you showed this past year was like nothing I have ever seen and I will be inspired by it every day of my life.”
Tony Blair, the former prime minister, said: “Tessa had passion, determination and simple human decency in greater measure than any person I have ever known. She was an inspiration to work with, and a joy to be near.
“She was the most wise of counsellors, the most loyal and supportive of colleagues, and the best of friends.” In a speech that moved colleagues to tears and resulted in a standing ovation in the House of Lords in January, Dame Tessa described how she was diagnosed with a rare glioblastoma multiforme tumour in May last year.
She said she had been on her way to deliver a talk in east London and: “I got into a taxi but couldn’t speak. I had two powerful seizures. I was taken to hospital. Two days later, I was told that I had a brain tumour.”
A week later, she had surgery to remove the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which failed to prevent its return. She made her speech in the Lords wearing an electronic skull cap that fired electrical currents at her tumour.
The Government today announces that it is doubling investment in brain cancer research from £20 million to £40million for what will be known as the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Research Fund, which will total £65million when existing private donations are taken into account. An annual Tessa Jowell global symposium will be launched in the UK to bring together the world’s leading experts on brain cancer in the search for treatments.
The NHS will also roll out nationally a “gold standard” brain cancer diagnosis test, involving the use of dye to identify tumours, which had until now only been available in half of cancer units, as highlighted by Dame Tessa.
Hospitals will accelerate the use of so-called adaptive trials, in which several treatments can be tried at once to increase the chance of success, in line with another of Dame Tessa’s requests.
Mrs May said: “I hope that the actions we are taking to improve care and research for those confronting a terrible disease will form part of the lasting legacy of an inspirational woman.”
Dame Tessa’s family said there would be a small private funeral followed by a public memorial service at a later date.