NIHR Blackpool CRDC

13/01/2026

✨✨Become a Research Champion at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ✨✨

Help shape the future of patient care. Influence innovation. Make a real difference.

At Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Research Champions are vital connectors between clinical teams, patients, and the Research & Development community.

As a Champion, you become part of a Trust-wide movement supporting better treatments, better knowledge, and better outcomes.

✨ Why become a Research Champion? ✨

Make an Impact: Your voice helps bring research to the heart of everyday clinical practice, ensuring our patients benefit from the latest evidence-based care.

Support Innovation: By promoting research activity and sharing study opportunities, you help drive forward new treatments and healthcare improvements.

Be the Link: Act as a bridge between your ward/department and the R&D team—keeping colleagues informed and contributing to a positive research culture.

Grow Your Skills: Champions gain access to development opportunities such as Good Clinical Practice training, research awareness sessions, and ongoing support.

✨ What does a Champion do? ✨

✔ Promote research within your area
✔ Keep your team updated on active studies and changes
✔ Encourage patients and colleagues to learn about taking part
✔ Share insights that help shape future research
✔ Join a proud network of staff improving care across the Trust

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ Who can be a Champion?🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

Anyone at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust—clinical or non-clinical—who believes in the power of research to change lives. No prior research experience needed. Just enthusiasm, curiosity, and a desire to make things better.

✨Be part of something meaningful ✨

Our Research Champions are helping ensure that every patient at Blackpool has access to high‑quality, life‑changing research—now and in the future.

Join us and help shape the future of healthcare.
Scan the QR code or complete the Expression of Interest form below today:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO4x1Nng35-udLhU5OpvjY54VUMUNOU04wNzFLU0ZIVTU4VVIzNThVVzMwUy4u

13/01/2026

✨ Your voice matters! ✨

Want to help shape the future of health research in Blackpool & the Fylde Coast? 💙

Join our Patient & Public Involvement & Engagement (PPIE) Group and make a real difference in your community 🙌

👉 Link below / QR Code to sign up & get involved today:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO4x1Nng35-udLhU5OpvjY54VURTRBQUw3V1MwRUtZMTBKUU5JTVY2RjhWVy4u

07/01/2026

Have you had cancer? Did you finish your initial treatment before 2024?

Half of us will have cancer in our lifetime. Help us improve treatment and support for people like you.

Tell us about your life after diagnosis by completing an online survey (at a time that suits you).

To find out more, visit:
https://imperial.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Br3IctUKYa6Vxk?Source=BlackpoolTrust

Alternatively scan the QR code or email imperial.patients.indigo.trial@nhs.net and we will send you a link.

05/01/2026

🌟 Our January 2026 R&D Newsletter is here! 🌟

We’re kicking off the new year with fresh research updates, inspiring achievements, and a look at the exciting studies shaping 2026 across Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

From groundbreaking clinical trials to community engagement, our teams continue to drive innovation and improve patient care across the Fylde Coast. Thank you to everyone—clinicians, research nurses, admin teams, labs, pharmacy, and our incredible patients—for helping research thrive.

👉 Read the full newsletter and see what’s new in R&D this month!

Research and Development at Blackpool Teaching hospitals NHS Foundation Trust hosts the Blackpool Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC), a dedicated centre focused on the delivery of commercial c

01/01/2026

Happy new year from NIHR Blackpool CRDC! 🥳

29/12/2025

🎉 Landmark publication in The New England Journal of Medicine 🎉

We’re proud to celebrate the publication of the MajesTEC‑3 phase 3 study, showing outstanding results for teclistamab + daratumumab in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

The study, undertaken at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust demonstrated a dramatic improvement in outcomes, with over 80% of patients progression‑free at 3 years, deep and durable responses, and high rates of minimal residual disease negativity—significantly outperforming current standard treatments.

💡 Why this matters:
✅ Fewer relapses and longer disease control
✅ Deeper responses, offering renewed hope for patients
✅ An off‑the‑shelf immunotherapy that is practical for real‑world care

Most importantly, these results reflect the incredible commitment of the patients and families who took part, helping to redefine what is possible in myeloma care and shaping how treatments are delivered in clinical practice today.

A huge congratulations to all investigators and research teams involved—including colleagues at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and heartfelt thanks to every patient who contributed to this practice‑changing study.

Help us help you, through research. 💙

View The Publication Here:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2514663

In a phase 1–2 trial, teclistamab, a bispecific antibody targeting CD3 on T-cell surfaces and B-cell maturation antigen on myeloma cells, showed durable responses in heavily pretreated patients wit...

22/12/2025

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the UK’s top recruiter for the OPTIMISE‑FLT3 study — with 7 participants enrolled.

Massive thanks to our patients, families and our Haematology Research Team and Cure Leukaemia Nurse Sarah Harrison led by Haematology Consultant Dr Paul Cahalin for making this possible. A recent trial newsletter highlighted that Blackpool is leading the way in this important study.

What is OPTIMISE‑FLT3?

OPTIMISE‑FLT3 is a UK clinical trial for people with newly diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) that carries a change in the FLT3 gene. The study compares treatment approaches to find the best way to treat FLT3‑mutated AML, with the goal that the most effective option could become future standard care.

Why it matters for our patients/participants

Improving future care: Taking part helps researchers identify the most effective treatment pathway for FLT3‑mutated AML—contributing to care improvements for people now and in the future.

Careful oversight: The study has favourable ethics approval and participants are closely monitored throughout.

Patient voice: Input from participants (e.g. during visits and assessments) shapes how treatments are delivered and evaluated.

We’re incredibly proud of our team’s dedication and our community’s support. Special thanks to our Haematology Research Team, Cure Leukaemia Nurse Sarah Harrison and Dr Paul Cahalin for leading the study at Blackpool. Also thanks to BoothsCountry and Cure Leukaemia for your continued support to the Trust.

For more information on the OPTIMISE‑FLT3 study, visit:

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/centre-for-trials-research/research/studies-and-trials/view/optimise-flt3

The OPTIMISE-FLT3 study focuses on a subgroup of AML with mutations in the FLT3 gene, found in about one-third of AML patients.

15/12/2025

🎉 Huge congratulations to the Research and Development / A&E / Critical Care teams at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust! 🎉

Top recruiter nationally for the CRASH 4 study this December with 6 participants—phenomenal work!

What is CRASH 4?

CRASH 4 is a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study investigating whether a single intramuscular dose of tranexamic acid (TXA)—given early by paramedics or in the ED—can help older adults with mild traumatic brain injury.

How does this benefit patients?

Early TXA may reduce bleeding and improve recovery, potentially lowering the risk of disability and longer term cognitive decline—bringing fast, accessible treatment right at the point of care.

👏 Thank you to our clinicians, research nurses, and partners for making research part of everyday care at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

🔗 Learn more about CRASH 4: CRASH 4 Trial:

https://crash4.lshtm.ac.uk/

11/12/2025

A festive thank you to the ROSSINI 2 team 🎄🍫

Huge thanks to the ROSSINI 2 team for the Christmas treats—such a kind gesture and very much appreciated by colleagues across the Trust. Your support (and sweet snacks!) keep spirits high while you continue vital research to improve patient outcomes.

About ROSSINI 2

ROSSINI 2 is a large, UK-wide phase III multi‑arm, multi‑stage (M**S) randomised trial led by the University of Birmingham’s Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit. It evaluates several in‑theatre interventions—used alone or in combination—to reduce surgical site infections (SSI) after abdominal surgery, with the primary outcome measured up to 30 days post‑operation.

The study involves many NHS hospitals across the UK (including Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and is supported by NIHR HTA funding.

05/12/2025

Celebrating Collaboration: Booths, Cure Leukaemia & Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

A huge thank you to BoothsCountry supermarket and Cure Leukaemia teams for visiting Blackpool Teaching Hospitals today! Together with our Haematology Consultants Paul Cahalin and Seye Kolade, Leukaemia Research Nurse Sarah Harrison and BTH’s Executive team, we celebrated the incredible progress being made through Clinical Trials at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Thanks to the continuous generous funding from BoothsCountry Supermarket, Sarah Harrison has recently joined Research and Development as a Cure Leukaemia Research Nurse – a vital role enabling us to deliver cutting-edge treatments for patients across our local community and beyond.

Through clinical trials such as the Evolve 2 Study, patients with blood cancers gain access to innovative therapies that aim to improve survival rates and quality of life. These trials explore advanced treatment options tailored to individual needs, offering hope where traditional approaches may fall short.

We’re also proud to utilise Computerised Ambulatory Delivery Devices (CADD), which allow patients to receive chemotherapy safely at home, reducing overnight hospital stays and improving comfort during treatment.

This collaboration exemplifies what can be achieved when organisations unite for a common cause: advancing cancer and leukaemia care for everyone who needs it.

For more information about Cure Leukaemia visit: https://www.cureleukaemia.co.uk/

For more information about Evolve 2 visit:
https://findastudy.uclh.nhs.uk/trial/68e929d9e763d74c37316b1e/view

01/12/2025

🎄 Congratulations to Research Champion Alison Stevenson! 🎄

We’re thrilled to announce Alison as our final Christmas Calendar Prize Draw winner! 🏆

Your dedication to supporting research and improving patient care is truly inspiring.

A huge thank you to all our Research Champions for everything you do – your commitment makes a real difference every day.

28/11/2025

🎄✨ Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust✨🎄