£15 million funding for Cancer Centre at Guy's Hospital

The Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science, has announced that King’s College London will receive £15 million to develop a Research and Innovation Hub within the new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital. The Cancer Centre is being developed by Guy’s and St Thomas’ in partnership with Guy's & St Thomas' Charity and Dimbleby Cancer Care.

Scheduled to open in 2016, the new Cancer Centre will combine first-class clinical care with ground-breaking research. Through the new Research and Innovation Hub scientists will be able to collaborate with clinicians, health professionals and patients as they develop technologies and conduct research that will drive the discovery of causes, treatment, and ultimately, cures for cancer.

The Hub will also be a focal point for collaboration with other research organisations and industry to develop commercial products that address cancer care.

Dr Maj Kazmi, Clinical Director of cancer services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says: “We want patients to have their say in every aspect of how their care is delivered, everything from being involved in decisions about their treatment to helping us to design the facilities in which their treatment is provided.”

“Integrating research with frontline clinical care is an important part of this – we know that patients are keen to be involved with studies and trials and we’re committed to giving them the opportunity to do so.”

The £15 million contribution to the Cancer Centre is awarded to King’s from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF). Managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), it supports investment in higher education research facilities, to stimulate investment in university research and to strengthen the contribution of the research base to economic growth.

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said: “The UK’s world-class universities are at the forefront of our economic recovery. It’s vital we do everything we can to encourage collaboration with the private sector and boost funding for research.
 
“With funding from the Research Partnership Investment Fund, this excellent project at King's College London will not only deliver new knowledge and applications for industry, but will accelerate growth and foster innovation between the research base and business, keeping the UK ahead in the global race.”