This month, NCIC hosted an inspiring research and innovation symposium, Ascent, for its second year.
There were around 350 colleagues who attended from the NHS, partners including Imperial College London and the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, and even some patients, who came together to celebrate our achievements in research and to learn from each other.
Ascent’s second year demonstrated the great research ongoing in Cumbria, from studies initiated from the Trust and partner studies to which we recruit patients.
Some of the ongoing research in Cumbria was covered on the day included:
- A cancer prehab pilot that is reducing length of stay for patients - early data shows that recovery is better for those patients
- A study known as ADHERE, to which NCIC is recruiting patients in Cumbria, which is testing a drug for Adult Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP).
Chief Executive of NCIC Trudie Davies and Head of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine Professor Mary Morrell opened the event.
Trudie said: “Today is a celebration of what has been achieved and what is still to be achieved.
“We know that organisations that participate in research, training, education, and leadership, deliver better care for our patients, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
Keynote speakers for the event included:
- Sir Jim Mackey NHS England Chief Executive
- Peter Howitt, Managing Director of the Centre for Health Policy and Climate Cares Centre and Lead of the Policy Workstream of the Fleming Initiative at Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation
- Dr Gail Marzetti, Deputy CEO of the NIHR and Director of Science, Research and Evidence at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Sir Jim Mackey said: “It's a privilege to be part of the NHS. It brings enormous respect. We should cherish that. Let’s never dilute our standards. Love what you do and let's love the NHS again."
Feedback from clinical colleagues, researchers, and aspiring doctors has been fantastic, with many feeling inspired by the day.
Trudie said: “It was an inspiring event and illustrated the scale of ambition and passion that our colleagues have to improve our services and our offer for patients.
“Everything that we do is, and should be, about improving care for our patients and looking to influence and improve outcomes. It is important to listen and learn from those experiences.
“Chris Rao, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Kathie Wong, Consultant Urologist has championed research and innovation in North Cumbria and have been instrumental in organising this event. Well done to them and to everyone who attended and especially to those who won prizes.”
James Stainthorpe, Graduate-Entry Medical Student at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, said: “As my first experience of a research conference, it highlighted how healthcare is no longer shaped in isolation. It operates across clinical care, research, leadership, and wider system-wide collaboration.
“What stood out most from the day wasn’t any single talk or technology, but the broader realisation that the future of medicine will belong to clinicians who can move comfortably between the ward, research environments, and the system level.”