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A Stakeholder Event for Increasing Access to Blood Cancer Trials Project

June 25, 2026

Image of people standing in front of a PowerPoint presentation at a Stakeholder event: Dr Sarah Lawless, Ms Ruth Boyd, Mr David Hetherington, Mrs Heather Hetherington, Dr Oonagh Sheehy and Aileen Major
Dr Sarah Lawless, Ms Ruth Boyd, Mr David Hetherington, Mrs Heather Hetherington, Dr Oonagh sheehy and Mrs Aileen Major

Successful Stakeholder Event

On 10th June 2026 the project team from the “Increasing Access to Blood Cancer Trials in Northern Ireland” hosted a stakeholder event in Belfast.  Patients, carers and colleagues from healthcare and charities in the region were invited to hear the findings of the project, funded by Blood Cancer UK.   The event brought together key partners from the project to present data and patient feedback on what it’s like to access blood cancer services and trials locally.  Patients and their carers who have had to travel to England for treatment that is not available in Northern Ireland also participated in the project and provided useful information on their experiences.

Key service improvement recommendations:

  • Provide more trials in Northern Ireland
  • Provide patients with feedback and progress on trial outcomes
  • Improve nutritional support for blood cancer patients in hospital
  • Improve waiting times for cancer patients attending clinic setting
  • Improve support for patients and their carers travelling to England

Read the report from patient and carer focus groups held in March 2026: Increasing access to blood cancer trials in Northern Ireland

Learn more about the Increasing Access to Blood Cancer Trials Project here.

Damien Bennett from Northern Ireland Cancer Registry standing at the podium presenting data on cancer trials access in Northern Ireland

Dr Damien Bennett, Director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry

 

Professor Olinda Santin, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University of Belfast

 

A wooden arch with a display of small round art pieces created on foil and coloured in

Art from community outreach events