Increasing Access to Blood Cancer Trials in Northern Ireland – A Partnership Project

 

Increasing Access to Blood Cancer Trials in Northern Ireland – A Partnership Project is funded by a Blood Cancer UK grant,  to explore NI challenges and barriers to trial access and drive change through new data, patients and carers and healthcare professional voices and community outreach.

The number of blood cancer patients taking part in clinical trials in NI has significantly reduced compared to the pre-covid era.  Sometimes patients in NI must travel to a distant centre in NI or Great Britain for their treatment/trial.

This professional and patient partnership project of 3 parts, aims to increase access to cancer trials in NI through:

• generating new knowledge about equality of access to blood cancer trials in NI through cancer registry data analysis
• a service evaluation of patient and carer experience including exploration of challenges related to clinical trials, including travel. Stakeholder engagement activity generating/implementing actions to increase inclusive access to cancer trials
• a programme of arts and conversation outreach activities across a range of communities and settings to raise awareness of blood cancers, clinical trials and the role of the patient advocate

The project aims to bring benefit to blood cancer patients through increased trial options and actions that address barriers by making clinical trials more patient-focused and inclusive.  A further legacy of the project is through collaborative working, outreach and the positive impact more clinical trial delivery will have on professional and patient communities.

Bridging the gap and shaping inclusive trial access in Northern Ireland.

Read more about our project on the Blood Cancer UK website. Click here:

https://bloodcancer.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/clinical-improvement-programme/grant-holders/improving-trial-access-northern-ireland/

Arts with a Side of Conversation Project

Arts with a Side of Conversation is a community outreach project delivered with Beth McComish, Belfast Trust Artist in Residence, supported by Arts Care.  See Cancer Trials NI website for regular updates on our community and public outreach work to promote inclusion and equity of access to clinical trials and treatment for NI patients.

Summer 2026 will be a season of public outreach for Northern Ireland Cancer Clinical Trials Network, Northern Ireland Cancer Research Consumer Forum and Belfast ECMC.  Come and join one of our planned events.