Caroline's Blog

Aside from de-icing the car in the morning and the long, dark evenings, I always really look forward to the start of a new year. The months fly by so quickly that you sometimes forget to stop and reflect on the good things that have happened, and how you can learn from these to make further improvements. But I have now had the chance to catch my breath, and wanted to share with you some of the big successes of the last year. These include:

• Launching our 20:20 Vision engagement exercise to inform our vision for the future; more than 600 people have had their say so far;
• Becoming the first UK centre to be officially accredited as a Comprehensive Cancer Centre - a prestigious stamp of excellence for our high quality services, research and education;
• Hitting our target of 20,000 members, enabling us to increase the important 'voice' of the public in our plans;
• Achieving all of the NHS and financial targets, as well as ensuring consistently high patient satisfaction rates;
• Opening our second radiotherapy centre in Salford in July, bringing Christie care closer to the 60 people who are treated there every day;
• Opening two new state-of-the art surgical theatres which house some of the most advanced surgical equipment in Europe;
• Coming a step closer to getting the go-ahead to develop a state-of-the art proton beam therapy service when the Government announced £150m to launch a national service. The Christie is one of three trusts to have been shortlisted as a potential provider;
• Raising £9.3m so far this year through our charity to further develop and improve care for our patients.

This is, of course, just a snapshot - there are many more examples I could give. And please don't forget the personal successes our staff and patients achieve every day. These are often more important than any corporate accomplishment.

2012 is going to be another very busy year and will undoubtedly be hugely challenging. It's no secret that the NHS is facing difficult times ahead. Through our 20:20 Vision engagement exercise we will be developing our future strategy, which we plan to unveil at our annual members' meeting in September. The strategy will ensure we make the most of any opportunities that exist, as well as help us through the tough times. But there is no point in having a strategy if you don't have fantastic staff to deliver it - and we are very lucky here at The Christie in that respect. By working together we can continue to go from strength to strength to improve services and support for our patients.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish our staff, patients and their families all the very best for the New Year. I do hope it brings you both joy and peace.

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We held our annual carol concert last week, and it was wonderful to see so many people there supporting The Christie. Thanks so much to the 500 or so who attended - it was such an uplifting evening. Thanks also to all of the performers who put together such a fantastic programme and made the event so special - you have all got such amazing talents. Special thanks must go to the pupils from Ryleys School and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, I was so impressed by your beautiful voices - I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

It was such a lovely event, and has raised vital funds to further improve treatment and facilities for our cancer patients.

As well as thinking about the how we can improve services in the future, at this time of year I always like to take the opportunity to remember those who have had cancer and who are no longer with us any more. These include the many patients I have met here at The Christie who battled cancer with such dignity, as well as those who have been close to me personally. I know our staff here at The Christie also take time during the Christmas period for quiet contemplation. I have never worked with such caring, dedicated colleagues.

Many of those who have lost loved ones continue to support The Christie, and work tirelessly to fundraise to give others a better chance. Your support and dedication makes such a difference to the lives of our patients and ensures they get the very best possible care. Thank you so much, and all the best this Christmas.

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We have now had more than 600 responses to the 20:20 vision engagement exercise. Many of those taking part have been touched by the great work of our staff - either because they have had cancer themselves, or because they have supported a family member or friend.  It's really important for us that we get our future vision right, and so we'd like to hear from as many people as possible. To take part please log onto our website www.christie.nhs.uk, or contact us on email 2020vision@christie.nhs.uk.

Our amazing Santa runners

A huge thank you also to our 200 santas who took part in the Manchester United Santa Run last Sunday. I was particularly amused to see the team wrapped up a Christmas presents - I have no idea how you managed to run! The greatest gift you have given, however, is showing your support for The Chrisite. Thanks to your efforts we are able to further improve treatment and facilities for our cancer patients.

Lastly a huge congratulations to our non executive director Jenni Murray who last week was made Dame Commander of the British Empire by the Queen during an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Jenni, host of Radio 4's Woman's Hour, received the award for services to radio broadcasting. It's interesting that Jenni received the accolade on the same day that the Guardian newspaper reported that the media and politics are dominated by men. I am not sure why this would be the case, and we need to do everything we can to enable women get to the top and stay there.

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Following the day of mass industrial action across the country, I would like to say a huge thank you to our staff for ensuring the continuity of patient care.

Me and Gary Lineker on the train back from London

In conjunction with our staff and their trade unions, we put plans in place to make sure all treatments went ahead as planned. A big thank you to our patients too who may have experienced some delays on the day.

I also want to say a huge personal thank you to Dr Chris Steele, the resident doctor at ITV's This Morning, for taking the time to visit The Christie this week and for showing his support. Chris came to have a look at our new state-of-the-art theatres which opened in July.  Supported by the Light for Christie's appeal, the £6m development has enhanced the highly specialised surgery we offer for complex and rare cancers.  A big thanks also to two very special patients who came to show their support too. Both have been successfully treated in the new theatres, and it is wonderful to see them back here looking so well. It is fantastic to see such great outcomes from our fundraising activities, which really help us to improve care for our patients.

On the topic of TV, I am delighted that the BBC has moved to Salford - it's great news for The Christie as it will help us to reach to more people. I have already met Peter Salmon and his top team to develop links. Peter is really keen to have real focus with the BBC and Manchester community.

I was just as delighted to bump into the wonderful Gary Lineker on the train back from London on Saturday. He is such a lovely man - it was a real pleasure to be able to talk to him about our fantastic cancer centre and I hope he will be able to visit us at some point in the future. Gary shows a real commitment to his work and his programme by commuting weekly to do his live show in Salford. Just like our staff's commitment to our patients

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