NCA Research & Innovation

13/08/2026

Our Bury research star of the month, research assistant Aishah Ahmed is a real hard worker and has been relentless in her efforts to recruit to the Diagnosis study, always looking to find new ways to overcome barriers to recruitment. She works well with the clinical team and this has helped with the time-restricted nature of the study. In addition, she has stepped up and led on the HIPPY trial, while a colleague was on leave. Colleagues say she uses initiative and intelligence to promote and deliver studies and is a hugely valued member of the team. Thank you, Aishah!

12/08/2026

A simple hand-held breath test device could help improve early lung cancer diagnosis, researchers have found.
The low-cost Inflammacheck test detects hydrogen peroxide, a marker for lung tumours, in exhaled breath. It could potentially be used in the UK Targeted Lung Health Check programme to improve the efficiency of screening by reducing the number of expensive CT scans needed.
The ExPeL study was led by Dr Sean Knight and colleagues at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester , supported by our acute and inpatient research delivery teams.
The results have now been published the journal Clinical and Translational Science.

11/08/2026

Patients and their families travelled from all over the North West to share their views on neuromuscular research and to hear more about the studies currently going on at Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust .

One even came home early from a holiday and another patient delayed their break to be part of the event organised by the Manchester Neuromuscular Research Group.

They heard from group leads and consultants Dr James Lilleker, Dr Katherine Dodd and Dr Ryan Keh about recent and planned projects, as well as from Dr Hassan Farid, who is planning a digital biomarker study into myasthenia gravis, research delivery lead Kathryn Slevin and patient Pat Cullen. Alisha Whitehead spoke about the work of the -Jefferson-Brain-Research-Centre and Dr Paul Morgan gave an insight into a dietary surveillance study at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Groups of patients and their families also discussed their priorities for future work and gave their views on the barriers they face when supporting research. All agreed they valued being able to meet with other people with their rare conditions, as well as hearing from the experts.

10/08/2026

It's brilliant to see more nurses and allied health professionals leading research at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust !
Our latest research star of the month at Salford is a new principal investigator, advanced clinical practitioner Rachael Collins. She has led on recruitment and delivery of the SIGHT trial and also supported other sites by providing training and tips on screening and assessment procedures to enhance the overall running of the trial. The SIGHT trial is a £1.26 million study funded by the NIHR and MRC testing if Spatial Inattention Grasping Therapy (SIGHT) can help improve spatial inattention after stroke and find out which patients benefit most from this new therapy.

10/08/2026

Important news in brain cancer this week - Dr Thomas Kisby and Prof Kostas Kostarelos are co leads for the nanotechnology theme at the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre , in which Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust is a key partner.

Experts said that while the findings are still in their early stages, they could potentially reshape care for glioblastoma patients

06/08/2026

A huge thank you to our Oldham research stars of the month, the intensive care unit practice based educator (PBE) team.
The PBE team of Rachel Diskin, Lauren Lewis (pictured), Adrianne Miller and Helen Barrow have been instrumental in helping roll out staff training for the PROTECT Airways trial, alongside the trial’s trainer.
This involved ensuring that the 90 plus members of the critical care nursing team were trained to use the trial’s equipment, a tracheal seal monitor. The PBE team helped to care for critical care patients and co-ordinated cover to allow members of the nursing team to leave the unit to go for training. It's such an important study and their support and enthusiasm has been crucial to getting underway!

05/08/2026

Great to see this innovation to improve care for people with prostate cancer - and proud to be a part of it at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

04/08/2026

At the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) Annual Meeting, several presentations highlighted new real-world insights from the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR), exploring important questions around the treatment of psoriasis. Here Dr Zenas Yiu from The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust looks at some of the discussions, the wider value of real-world evidence, and the need to improve research inclusion across routinely collected and observational datasets.

📢 What can real-world data tell us about psoriasis treatment?

At BAD 2026, Dr Zenas Yiu discusses new insights from the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR), including infection risk across systemic therapies, the potential for earlier biologic use and emerging risk factors for erythrodermic psoriasis.

The interview also explores the growing role of real-world evidence in improving psoriasis care and informing future research.

Read more 👉 https://touchderma.com/2026/07/13/badbir-2026-psoriasis-treatment-and-risk-factors/

29/07/2026

After more than 30 years in research, respiratory consultant Professor Andrew Bentley has swapped sides to take part in research himself.

Andrew, who has Parkinson’s disease, is taking part in the ASPro-PD study at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust . It's investigating whether the drug Ambroxol can slow progression of motor symptoms such as tremor, stiffness and balance issues in Parkinson’s.

As well as being hopeful that the treatment will improve care for people with Parkinson’s, Andrew says it has been fascinating to see research from a fresh perspective as a patient. “It feels very fulfilling – for years, I’ve been asking patients to take part in studies and this has given me a better understanding of what it entails from their perspective.”

Read more on our website.

MFT Research and Innovation

27/07/2026

"Hand surgery is one of the most technically demanding areas of surgery because the hand contains a remarkable combination of bones, joints, tendons, nerves and blood vessels packed into a very small space."
Consultant hand and wrist surgeon Zafar Naqui has become the first surgeon from the UK to be elected President of the Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (FESSH). Read more here: https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/nca-news/salford-hand-surgeon-makes-history-top-european-role?back=1