03/09/2025
UCAN CELEBRATES TWO BIRTHDAYS!
2025 is certainly a special year in the history of UCAN. In addition to marking twenty years since the north east urological charity was founded by eminent consultant urologists Professor James N’Dow and Sam McClinton, the year also marks a decade since the advent of the groundbreaking robotic surgery being introduced within Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).
As UCAN CEO Kenny Anderson reflects, the charity has achieved much since the idea germinated in an Aberdeen hostelry. “As someone who has benefited from UCAN’s care while being treated for prostate cancer the phrase that comes to mind about the Charity’s achievements is life-changing works”.
The Patient experience, whether using the UCAN Centre, being helped by UCAN Specialist Nurses or being operated on using robotic surgery has been transformational.
And that transformational work continues as we partner with Friends of Anchor and NHS Grampian to deliver the SURE Unit in 2026
UCAN Chair Justine Royle is justifiably proud of what has been achieved but is also well aware there is much more that requires to be done. “We were, thanks to UCAN the first unit in Scotland to start robotic surgery which has now helped thousands of north east patients. The charities donors should be rightly proud of what has been achieved"
UCAN joined forces with Friends of ANCHOR to raise the £2.5m required to open a one-stop diagnostic centre for people with symptoms of urological cancers.
The SURE Unit, an acronym for Swift Urological Response and Evaluation, formerly the Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC), will be located within ARI and will enable more people with a suspected urological cancer to be seen quicker and to have all their scans and diagnostic tests undertaken during a single visit hospital.
Pictured with the Da Vinci robotic system is the ARI Robotic team
