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University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is pleased to announce that it has been designated a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for Children, highlighting the strength of its services for children with a brain tumour.
UHBW is one of four UK paediatric neuro-oncology centres to be awarded the designation in December 2025 by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM).
The designation was confirmed by Ashley Dalton, the health minister, at an event in London. The event also marked the launch of the new Tessa Jowell Academy for Paediatrics, a national hub for training and collaboration in paediatric neuro-oncology, providing an opportunity for UHBW to share examples of excellent practice with other children’s neuro-oncology centres around the UK. This is a major step towards ensuring that children receive excellent care irrespective of where they live.
The UHBW Team
UHBW was designated as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence after working for the past 18 months to implement innovative new solutions. The centre’s neuro-oncology team showed an exceptional commitment to service development, bringing together a wide number of specialties to deliver impactful changes. The designation follows a rigorous review process which examined multiple areas of the patient pathway in detail, together with patient feedback collected by The Brain Tumour Charity.
TJBCM’s panel of neuro-oncology experts particularly commended UHBW for excellence in their:
Well-developed shared care network, supporting treatments close-to-home with access to neuro-oncology specialists.
Outstanding nurse-led care with highly skilled and dedicated staff, supported by high-quality training opportunities.
Excellent neuropathology service with exemplary contributions to training nationally.
Extensive support for reintegration into education and wrap-around care for patients and their families.
A comprehensive approach to rehabilitation and enhanced psychological care reflecting the service’s continued commitment to holistic, long-term support for children and young people with a brain tumour.
All areas of UHBW’s service now meet the Tessa Jowell Standards of Excellence, thanks to the hard work of the paediatric neuro-oncology team in delivering significant service developments, reflecting the team’s strong commitment to patient-centred care. Centre of Excellence designation confirms UHBW’s commitment not only to high-quality care today but to continually improving services for children in the years ahead. The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust’s Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Team
Nicky Huskens, Chief Executive of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, said:
“Congratulations to everyone in UHBW’s paediatric neuro-oncology service. Designation as a Centre of Excellence for Children underlines the strength of services for children with a brain tumour. The neuro-oncology team has shown its firm dedication to improving care and an impressive capacity to make meaningful changes in a tight timeframe. We look forward to continuing to work with them, helping to share their innovations and best practice with colleagues across the country.”
Dr Rachel Cox, Paediatric Oncologist, Cancer Lead, UHBW said:
‘As a Paediatric Oncologist supporting children and their families living with and after a brain tumour diagnosis, I am delighted that our team have been recognised for the work they do by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. The work that the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission do will pave the way for future improvements.’
Fiona Jones, UHBW Divisional Director, Division of Women said:
‘We are incredibly proud to have achieved centre of excellence status for the Paediatric Neuro-oncology Service, this is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of this outstanding team. We look forward to continuing to work with TJBCM to improve the outcomes for all children with brain tumours and we share TJBCM hopes for the future.'
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