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Our team is composed of 9 specialist thoracic oncology physicians providing a range of services to address the needs of patients from Greater Manchester and beyond.

Our strategic focus is to provide an exemplary patient experience and reduce the mortality from lung cancer and other cancers affecting the chest. We have adopted a multi-faceted approach and include:

  • The CURE programme provides specialist treatment and support for tobacco addiction
  • Earlier Detection
    The Lung Health Check Programme is a community-based service where participants are offered a free Lung Health Check on mobile units, which includes a symptoms assessment, spirometry (breathing tests), tobacco addiction treatment and risk-stratification for lung cancer. Those identified as at high risk of developing lung cancer are offered low-dose CT screening on co-located mobile scanners. The service moves across different areas of Manchester enabling improved access to health care and better outcomes
  • Accelerated Diagnostics
    The RAPID Programme (Rapid Access to Pulmonary Investigation and Diagnosis) provides standardised assessment of patients with suspected lung cancer, aiming to perform multiple investigations in a single visit, and reducing the time taken to complete investigations to less than 10 days.
  • Specialist MDT Program
    Incorporating daily diagnostic MDT’s, twice weekly treatment MDT’s and a higher risk MDT clinic, to provide efficient & consistent decision making and maximise access to palliative & curative treatments
  • Survivorship
    This programme provides a risk-stratified follow up service integrated with nurse-led support and intermittent medical review aligned to CT scanning.

Our unit is equipped with a modern bronchoscopy suite to provide a range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures on a daily basis including conventional bronchoscopy, autoflourecence bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) and EBUS transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), navigational bronchoscopy and photodynamic therapy (PDT).

The work programme of the team has been recognised at local, regional, national and international level including:

Awarded:

2019 – Cancer Care Team of the Year Award – British Medical Journal (BMJ) Awards 2019

2019 – Brilliant Idea Award – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Excellence Awards

2019 – Highly commended – Collaboration Award – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Excellence Awards

2019 – Highly commended – Cancer Care Initiative of the Year – Healthcare Services Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards

2018 – HSJ Awards 2018, Acute or Specialist Services Redesign – North/Midlands/East

2018 – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Clinical Team of the Year

2017 – Best Community Research Project – NIHR, Greater Manchester CRN

2016 – The Health Foundation: Innovating for Improvement

Finalists:

2019 – Finalist, Strengthening the Foundation Award, Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA)

2018 – Finalist, British Medical Journal (BMJ) Awards, Cancer Care Team Award

2018 – Finalist, Royal College of Physicians, Patient Centered Care Award

2018 – Regional (Greater Manchester) winners NHS 70 Parliamentary Awards, Nominated for Excellence in Cancer Care Award by MP Mike Kane#

Email vijay.joshi@mft.nhs.uk for further information.

Consultants

Dr Haval Balata – Lung Cancer Physician

Dr Phil Barber – Lung Cancer Physician

Prof Richard Booton – Lung Cancer Physician

Dr Chris Brokelsby – Lung Cancer Physician

Dr Christopher Craig – Lung Cancer Physician

Dr Philip Crosbie – Lung Cancer Physician

Dr Matthew Evison – Lung Cancer Physician

Dr Judith Lyons – Lung Cancer Physician