Jo pledges help to cancer research after Beatson visit
July 5, 2010 2:50 PM
After a visit to the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow on Friday, Jo pledged to continue championing the cause of medical research in Parliament.
Jo recently led a debate in Parliament on how the Government can help facilitate research into treatments for diseases such as cancer by improving access to ethically donated samples of human tissue.
Jo is calling on the Government to do more to help researchers to gain access to tissue samples which might otherwise go to waste, by ensuring all surgical patients in NHS hospitals have the opportunity to donate samples for research.
Last year Jo raised more than £1,000 for the Beatson Pebble Appeal by running the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon. The Pebble Appeal is raising funds to build the Beatson Translational Research Centre which will convert basic cancer research into real improvements in treatments for patients.
Commenting, Jo said:
"I received a fascinating tour of the Beatson Institute, which is a world class facility. I was particularly impressed by the Friends of the Beatson Centre and the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, which provide retreats for patients going through difficult treatments.
"I will continue to speak out in Parliament about how both Government and the general public can help to advance the cause of medical research into common diseases such as cancer. Most people who go into hospital for surgery have no idea that they could choose to donate some tissue which could be invaluable for medical research.
"Most people know someone who has suffered from cancer and know what a struggle it can be. We must engage the public better and let people know how they can help in the search for better treatments, or even a cure."
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