GOSH Professor Darren Hargrave appointed to co-chair national children and young people cancer task force

14 Feb 2025, 9 a.m.

An image showing Prof Darren Hargrave

As we approach International Childhood Cancer Day on Saturday 15 February 2025, we are delighted to congratulate Prof. Darren Hargrave and Dame Caroline Dinenage on their appointments as co-chairs of the Children and Young People Cancer Task force.

The task force will restart its work to bring together the country’s top experts to set out plans to improve treatment, detection and research for cancer in children and young people, feeding into the national cancer plan. Prof. Hargrave will also be chairing the new children’s group of the UK Collaborative for Cancer Clinical Research.

Professor Darren Hargrave, who has worked at GOSH for 14 years to help develop better treatments for children with cancer, said: “With cancer the leading cause of death among children aged under 14 in the UK, it is essential that we work at pace to develop more effective and kinder treatments for cancers. Every day at GOSH we work with children, young people and their families to treat their cancers and to get them back to doing what they want: playing, going to school, being with friends and family. We owe it to them to go further, faster.”

GOSH is also developing a new Children’s Cancer Centre and new main entrance. With four floors dedicated to cancer care, new theatres, imaging and critical care services, this new facility will make it easier for clinical teams to work to achieve their ambitions for new and innovative approaches to care and treatment. The CCC also puts children front and centre, with their needs at the heart of the design, alongside modern purpose-built child friendly clinical spaces, there is also lots of outdoor space, room to play and a new hospital school.

Find out more about the Children's Cancer Centre.

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