RESEARCHERS at South Warwickshire Foundation Trust (SWFT) have been given a cash boost in the fight against cancer.
The awards were made at the first ever annual Rigby Awards, which came on the back of the charitable trust’s £250,000 donation to the new Stratford Hospital’s cancer unit. The awards went to:
* Consultant Haematologist Dr Anton Borg who will be carrying out research on Outpatient Induction Chemotherapy
* Consultant Colorectal Surgeon Sean Ramcharan who will be conducting research into whether the One-Stop Nodal Assessment (OSNA) improves the detection of lymph node metastases in Colorectal Cancer
* Clinical Nurse Consultant Carole Connor and Consultant Oncologist Dr Nawaz Walji who will both research early breast cancer and its association with vitamin D deficiency
* Consultant Radiologist Dr Rakesh Sinha who will be working on the prediction of rectal tumour response to Chemoradiotherapy on diffusion weighted MRI.
SWFT chief executive Glen Burley said: “We are extremely grateful for The Rigby Foundation’s generosity. Their support will help to make the new Rigby Cancer Unit in Stratford, a centre of excellence that is accessible for the local communities of South Warwickshire.”
The Rigby Foundation has donated £500,000 over five years to champion innovative cancer care.
Coventry and Warwickshire businessman Sir Peter Rigby, on behalf of the foundation: “In addition to donating £250,000 towards the dedicated Cancer Unit at the new Stratford Hospital, the Rigby Foundation wanted to add to its future reputation and substance. That is why we have created and sponsored the Rigby Foundation Awards, which support and encourage better ways of delivering cancer care in the local community.”
“Clinicians and staff responded by putting forward ideas to improve cancer treatment and care locally. Glen Burley, Dr Charles Ashton, Russell Hardy and myself met as a panel to assess their applications and the first Rigby Foundation Awards will finance and enable four innovative projects.”
