We are delighted to share the news that we have been chosen as finalists for the PEN Awards 2025, and we couldn’t feel prouder!

The Picker Experience Network Awards are the first and only awards programme to recognise best practice in patient experience across all facets of health and social care in the UK and beyond.

We have been chosen for the category Partnership Working to Improve the Experience for our collaboration with the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance on the Cancer SMART project.

The awards ceremony will take place in October 2025, and we’re incredibly proud to be nominated.  We’ll let you know how we get on.  

The Ella Dawson Foundation, a charity that offers support to young people aged 18-30 with a cancer diagnosis, are running a t-shirt competition to help raise vital funds.

The competition, “Tee Me There” is being sponsored by our chairman Dr Stewart Manning, in memory of a patient of his – Steven Tottie.  Here’s what Stewart said about him:-

“I looked after many people as a doctor, but one person is always prominent in my memories, and he was the bravest patient that it was my privilege to meet.

He has been a major inspiration for my charity work

 His name was Steven Tottie, and I diagnosed his childhood leukaemia.  After chemotherapy he had a bone marrow transplant.  Unfortunately, he had a comparatively rare outcome. He developed “Graft Versus Host Reaction +”.  This is where the foreign bone marrow attacks the patient’s body.  Failure is more commonly due to the patient rejecting the donor bone marrow.

 This outcome left Steve with multiple severe medical problems.  He never complained and whenever I saw him on a regular basis, he was cheerful and positive.  He grew up into adulthood with these problems.  During his long illness there were no specific charities specifically for young adults aged 18 to 30 who had cancer.  I know if The Ella Dawson Foundation had existed during these times it would have made a great difference to Steve’s quality of life.

 Steve made me a painted Canvas of Rock Bands (because he knew of my musical tastes) which hung in my GP surgery for many years and now has pride of place in my office.  After Steve passed away, he left me one of his treasured possessions in his will along with a note that still brings tears to my eyes.  His final message to me was “You are one of the good guys”.

My bequest was an “Alien” which resides next to the canvas in my office.

 I am proud to be an ambassador for The Ella Dawson Foundation and I am delighted to sponsor the Ella Dawson t-shirt competition in his memory.”